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From DPhiE Chapter President to Mars: Leilani Trautman, Zeta Delta Chapter 

When asked the number one thing gained from her undergraduate experience in Delta Phi Epsilon, 2021 graduate Leilani Trautman enthusiastically pointed to her growth as a leader. Shortly after graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology last year, Leilani joined the Mars 2020 team at NASA, which operates the rover that landed on Mars about a year ago with a mission to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples for a possible return to Earth. She now is a lead coder, working to automate daily movement and data collection from the rover as it goes about its mission. 

“Every day we receive information from the rover about what it did on Mars and we need to make sure everything is going well,” she said. “I developed code to make this process faster.”

When Leilani arrived at school from San Diego, she was set on studying electrical engineering and computer science. Yet, she also knew she was interested in finding a community with a strong commitment to inclusion.

Leilani joined DPhiE the first opportunity she had during the fall semester of her freshman year. She was eager to gain a sense of belonging within a space that championed the values she was seeking. She soon developed skills as a leader, first serving as sisterhood coordinator, then informal recruitment chair and risk management coordinator all within her first two years as an initiated member. Although she was still relatively new to the chapter, Leilani was then nominated as president and eventually served for two separate terms. 

During her presidency, she continued to champion the diversity, equity and inclusion policies that drew her in as a freshman. She added an additional leadership position to focus on these policies and make sure that all decisions made by the chapter were rooted in DPhiE’s founding principles of justice, sisterhood and love, while also prioritizing the organization’s vision of empowering our sisterhood to engage in a lifetime of leadership and service.

These efforts continued to take shape as the world went into quarantine during the middle of Trautman’s tenure. 

“My goal was to maintain connection when everyone was forced to go home,” she said. “DPhiE taught me how to best interact with people and approach situations in a positive way. These skills have helped me motivate myself and others to work collaboratively.”

After graduating, one of Leilani’s first philanthropic contributions was to DPhiE. She gave because she saw the importance of funding leadership opportunities for undergraduate members. From participating in Engage U and other international events, she attributed skills in leadership and networking to the skills that DPhiE gave to her as an undergraduate member. 

“I like to remind myself and other members that we are so much more than our small chapter at MIT,” Leilani continued. “We are part of a large, international network, one that I am proud to be a part of, even while working for a rover on Mars.”

As her self-described first love, Andrea Alhadari Patton named DPhiE as the longest, most important relationship she has ever entered. (With the exception of her husband, of course.) Andrea joined the Educational Foundation Board in January because after experiencing the multiple ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic she wanted to give back to something that is so monumental in her life. As an active alumna of Alpha Gamma chapter at Florida International University, Andrea has continued her involvement since her graduation 11 years ago, on DPhiE professional staff overseeing communications and extension, and now as a chapter advisor and active volunteer.

“The pandemic really scared me and it forced me to try to picture my life without my constants, including my sorority,” Andrea said. “A lot of my friends from my new member class are having kids right now, and many of them are having daughters. I want my future daughter to have the opportunity to have the same positive experience I had in DPhiE and be able to share that with her.” Supporting the Educational Foundation, she said, is the way to ensure the success of the sorority.

After working professionally for DPhiE for seven years, Andrea now serves as the director of strategic partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania while simultaneously working toward her master’s in organizational dynamics with a focus on the upward mobility of Latina, first-generation college graduates in the workplace. Although she now serves in a volunteer capacity, Andrea still sees DPhiE as the main factor driving her to invest in life skills and leadership opportunities for others.
“DPhiE has always been a constant in my life and I want to sustain that,” Andrea said. “Whenever I talk to a sister, they always talk about DPhiE with passion.” Andrea believe sisterhood is for a true lifetime as an active part of her daily life and hopes that every member finds that same commitment.

Interested in joining Andrea as a strong advocate for DIMES For DPhiE? Learn more today.

By Amanda Landry, LMHC, NCC, CAP

School is starting and high schoolers across the nation will be starting college this Fall.  Going to college can be an exciting and daunting experience.  For 13 years, you’ve pretty much been told when to go to school, when to eat lunch, when to do extra-curricular activities, when you can work, when you have to come home, when you have to study, and the list can go on and on.  For those of you going to away to college next year, everything is going to change.  You are going to be much more in control of your calendar and schedule.  Yes the school is going to give you times for your classes but you are going to have a variety of options.  Yes your new job will give you hours, however you won’t have the constraints of early morning school hours or limited weekend hours.  Does this sound like an exciting prospect to you?  Having good time management is one of the keys to being successful in college.  How are your time management skills now?  Here are some strategies to putting good time management skills into place when you get to school.

1.         Make a list of your priorities and make sure you put enough time in your schedule for these items

•           Figure out what your priorities are for the year. This would include things like school, work, extra-curricular activities, sorority life, socializing, etc. Make sure to allot enough time to be sure you are successful in each of these areas. Classes and schoolwork are probably going to get the most time so be sure to put enough time in your life for them .

2.         Get a scheduler or use your calendar on your phone in order to put things down that are a priority in your life

•           Some colleges still pass out free planners at the beginning of the year. This may be a thing of the past with COVID but you can get a planner at your local Target.  Some people like using their phone. It doesn’t matter what you use as long as you have an avenue to keep track of your life in an organized manner. Update it every day and whenever needed. Taking a look at the week ahead is also a good idea.

3.         Give yourself enough free but not too much

•           You are going to have much more free time on your hands. There are going to be blocks of time between classes or work where you can study, have lunch, meet up with friends, etc. Be sure to include downtime in your schedule. You want to make sure you have balance in your life and that includes balance in your schedule.

4.         Use to-do lists and do your best to keep on top of them

•           To-do lists are a must to any successful person. Create a to-do list every day and work on completing the items on your list. You can also create long-term to-do lists for things that can’t be done that day. To-do lists are key in good time management.

5.         Put time every week to taking a look at where you spent your time

•           Take time each week to look at your previous week. What did you accomplish? Where were your strong points and where were your weak points in terms of time management? From there, figure out how you can do things differently in the next week in order to be more effective. If you put these strategies into place, the likelihood that you will do well your first year will greatly increase. And be sure to schedule in fun things, like going to sorority events, socializing with friends and anything else your college has to offer. Good luck with your time management this year!

Author: Dr. Mary Nochimson

In this blog, I plan to talk about common headaches and holistic modalities and at-home treatments that may help. 

1. Tension headaches feel like a band-like pressure surrounding the crown of the head. These headaches are usually caused by anxiety AKA tension. These headaches typically originate in the muscles of the head and neck. How to treat?

Chiropractic is a great option. In chiropractic, there is a headache known as a “cervicogenic headache”, which is a headache that is derived from misaligned spinal joints, also known as a subluxation. Subluxations not only put pressure on spinal nerves providing information and nutrition to the organs and structures of the head and neck, but it also causes muscle spasm. When these muscles spasm, over time, start pulling on the surrounding skin and fascia creating a trigger point leading to head pain. By adjusting the joint, it helps these muscles relax and that positively affects the surrounding fascia. 

In addition to Chiropractic, a massage therapist can also work wonders. Make sure to find a therapist who specializes in trigger point massage. Craniosacral is a gentle hands-on technique that uses a light touch to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the brain and spinal cord. This not only helps address the physical portion of relieving tension in the central nervous system, but also helps address the emotional component of your headache. The fourth really awesome modality is acupuncture. There are specific sets of points that help decrease headaches and pain, and I will share a few of them with you. 

– Warm bath with eucalyptus and lavender oils. These two essential oils help with anxiety and promote relaxation.

– Still point inducer 

– With a massage tool or with your pointer or thumb, stimulate the following areas for 1 minute.

Yin Tang is an extra point found in between the eyebrows above the nasal bones. I have found this point to be effective for headaches and anxiety.

Large Intestine 4 is a miracle point for headaches, neck and jaw pain. When you stimulate a point that is not local to the area of pain, this is known as a distal point and they can be very very effective. Important: if you are pregnant, do not stimulate this point as it stimulates uterine contraction.

Kidney 1 is the ultimate point for pain. It stimulates the body to make endorphins, which helps increase pain tolerance. When I was taught this point at the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture, the professor told a story of a woman who was diagnosed with terminal cancer and screamed in unbearable pain every night. After stimulating this point, the pain was relieved and the woman was able to sleep soundly through the night. I have used this point for patients who experienced headaches and other pains that have not improved using other medical and alternative medicine modalities

2. Migraine headaches are typically throbbing in nature and present on one side of the head behind the temple or the eye. This headache may sometimes  be accompanied by photophobia, sensitivity to light, or nausea, or vomiting. These type of headaches usually triggered by smells, food or environmental.

Ways to prevent this type of headache is keeping a log, or a diary. Write down all the foods you eat and monitor your symptoms. When you start to feel a headache coming on, notice if there are any smells in the air such as perfumes. This is the best way to get a handle on your migraine headache. 

Treatments include NAET®, which stands for Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique. This is a holistic modality which helps your body decrease the load of insensitivities you are exposed to on a daily basis. If you have many insensitivities that you are exposed to on a daily basis, this is going to lead to widespread inflammation throughout your body and central nervous system making your body susceptible to these headaches. If we can desensitize your body to these allergens, this will decrease inflammation in your body, making your body more functional. By exposing your body to the allergen transdermally through contact with a glass vial and stimulating specific acupuncture points along the spine and on the wrists, hands, ankle and feet, this modality helps your body respond better to the allergen. I know… UNBELIEVABLE and AMAZING! 

Migraines are vascular and these vessels feeding the brain from the heart travel through the fascia, muscles and joints of the cervical spine. Depending on severity, Craniosacral is a great treatment. Releasing the cranial bones will allow for vessels traveling through the tunnels (formed by the cranial bones) and through the intracranial membranes (which separate the brain and cerebellar parts) to travel more freely without interference. A Craniosacral therapist will also release the cranial base through which blood supply and nerve supply enter and exit the skull. 

A massage therapist skilled in neck work may also help. In my experience, a spasm in the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM), may mimic a migraine headache. If you squeeze this muscle, you may find that it may produce pain behind the eye or around the ear on the same side. 

At-home options

• Still point inducer
• Stay away from strong smelling deodorant/ perfume. 
• Stimulate the acupuncture points mentioned above. 

3. Headaches can also be caused by 

• Lack of sleep
  • Make sure you are getting 8 hours of sleep and try sipping a cup of chamomile tea. Avoid drinking  beverages loaded with caffeine and smoke cigarettes as they are both “stimulants”. 
• An incorrect eyeglass prescription
  • Make sure that you visit your eye doctor once a year to avoid wearing prescription lenses that are not right for you
• Staring at a computer for extended periods of time. 
  • Try to take frequent breaks from not just your computer, but your phone as well; and dim the room to reduce glare and reflections, which causes eye strain, which can lead to headaches. 
• Stress
  • Try exercising, meditation and yoga. Find time for self care with chiropractic adjustments, massage, acupuncture. Try diffusing lavender oil as it stimulates the relaxation effect 
• Loud noise exposure
  • If you are sensitive to sounds, this will definitely be a potential cause for a headache. Try ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones when you know you are going to a place where there will might be noises. 
• Tight headwear. 
  • All women love their hair extensions, headbands, barrettes and scrunchies!!! As unnoticeable as they are on your head, they may be causing some restrictions in the cranial bones and tensions in the intracranial membranes. One of the symptoms of these “makin’ me pretty” accessories is headaches. So, don’t be shy! When you get that chance, let your hair down! 

Dr. Mary’s important Pearl of Health & Wisdom: This is very important. Two major questions the medical doctor asks, and questions you can ask yourself, when you have a headache are

1. Is this the worst headache you ever had?

2. Have you had this headache before? 

If you answered “yes” to question 1 and “no” to question 2, then the medical doctor, physician’s assistant or the nurse will probably refer you to the hospital to rule out life-threatening diseases such as a possible aneurysm or tumor. If all tests come out negative, then to have the headache symptoms co-managed by a neurologist and chiropractor may help you recover from the headache and also help you manage the symptoms when flair ups occur.