THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9411300167
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Angela Miller settled upon a career during her senior year at Princess Anne High School.
``I took an accounting class and decided then to become a certified public accountant,'' said Miller, 18. ``I know the courses are difficult, and I've heard that exam is really difficult, but I'm determined.''
To help Miller remain determined, the Lambda Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority awarded her its $1,000 annual scholarship. The 30-member chapter is based in Virginia Beach and composed of college-educated business and professional African-American women. Worldwide, the service-oriented sorority boasts a membership of 130,000 in more than 800 chapters.
The Norfolk State University freshman received the scholarship at a luncheon, fashion show and card party recently.
Dr. Janice Sims Wade, librarian at Tidewater Community College-Virginia Beach Campus, heads the AKA scholarship committee. The committee hosted a scholarship tea in early June to offer high school seniors an opportunity to apply.
``We have given the scholarships since our inception in 1976,'' Wade said. ``In addition to the one which Angela received, we gave one to an enrolled college student.''
Miller graduated from high school with a 3.25 grade point average and is maintaining a 3.0 average in her first semester at NSU. She has worked at a shoe store at the Outlet Mall for two years and participated in numerous extra-curricular activities at Princess Anne.
``The pace is a little quicker in college,'' Miller said. ``So I study harder.''
She said her mother, Mildred, has stressed AKA membership to her for some time.
The college scholarship is only one facet of the sorority's commitment to community service, Wade said.
``We contribute to a number of agencies each year,'' she said. ``We give to Operation Smile, Norfolk Community Hospital, the NAACP, the United Negro College and Samaritan House, for example.''
The sorority has adopted the Seatack Community Center and offers a variety of workshops, health screenings and other programs intended to assist Seatack residents.
``We have a tutorial program for children there,'' Wade said. ``We participate in a number of specialized workshops, including aerobics and health beauty.
``Each football and basketball season, we treat 30 to 50 kids to a Norfolk State game.''
To help raise funds for these services, about 25 vendors offered their wares at the recent luncheon. The array of products included Greek and ethnic items such as masks, shirts, pins and caps. Paintings lined one wall outside the conference room where the fete was held. More than 200 guests purchased tickets for the luncheon, fashion show and card games.
All the proceeds go to either the scholarship fund or the other benevolent activities of the sorority.
``One of our goals for the scholarship fund is to give a student a scholarship each year all the way through the undergraduate years of college,'' Wade said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Angela Miller, Alpha Kappa Alpha scholarship recipient, discusses
the award with Janice Sims Wade, scholarship committee chairwoman.
by CNB