Adriana Mariscal: A Leader With A Heart of Gold

For junior genetics major Adriana Mariscal, the transition from San Antonio to Texas A&M was a culture shock. To embrace this change, Mariscal joined Kappa Delta Chi a "Latina-founded but multicultural grounded" sorority overseen by the Multicultural Greek Council.

Mariscal joined Kappa Delta Chi because it supported multiculturalism and service, she said. Three years later, she is president of the sorority.

As president, Mariscal is responsible for conducting general and executive body meetings in addition to overseeing all executive bodies and committee chairwomen underneath her. She also dedicates at least 50 to 60 hours per semester to service.

These hours are spent in projects including highway cleanup, trips to retirement centers and fundraisers that benefit the American Cancer Society. Service to others is at the heart of the sorority, said Kappa Delta Chi adviser Margarita Alvarado.

"[Mariscal] has the heart and passion to be a successful student as well as an effective leader," Alvarado said. "She listens to her own heart by making decisions she sees fit to better the sorority and takes the heart of others into consideration by being open to their ideas."

As president, Mariscal serves as an open ear at all times. Crystal Nicholas, member of Kappa Delta Chi, said she is "the go-to person for anyone, whether it be a matter concerning the sorority or a personal matter."

Her sorority can be best described as "more than meets the eye," Mariscal said.

"Greeks have had a bad reputation for as long as I can remember. The media focuses on issues such as drinking, hazing and a lack of morality," Mariscal said. "KDChi strives to work against those stereotypes and eliminate them by maintaining a strict code of ethics, highlighting the efforts we make in bettering our communities and our campus."

Mariscal said she hopes to decrease the negative stereotypes often associated with Greek life. "It is definitely not easy leading an organization that has been set up for failure by those who do not understand what Greek Life is about, only choosing to see what the media portrays," Mariscal said.

Because of Kappa Delta Chi, Mariscal has changed as a person, she said. Not only has she gained leadership skills and built new relationships, but she has developed a cultural awareness that has allowed her to become a "more involved and open individual," Mariscal said.

With her zest for contributing to the cause of the greater good, Mariscal hopes to continue to impact the lives of those around her - one heart at a time.

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above:

log out