MC 22 Spotlight

Member Class Spotlight: Spring 22

If the budding trees and thick blanket of pollen around campus indicate anything, it’s that spring has officially sprung! Witnessing this season’s return of flowers and foliage has reminded us of the ways we, too, have grown as a sorority this semester. Last month, our chapter initiated nine new members, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome this diverse bunch of radiant, intelligent, and passionate young women into our sisterhood. Because getting to know them has been such a joy, we felt it only fitting to feature them in a blog post so that everyone could see what we’ve come to know and love about them.

Meet the New Member Class!

Kayla Hua

Kayla Hua, an industrial engineering major from Rockaway, NJ, loves Marvel movies and the friends she has found at Alpha Xi. Despite harboring a deep hatred for cucumbers, Kayla says she is a big foodie and is always down to grab a bite to eat. Being with her puppy is something that instantly brightens Kayla’s day, and over the past few months of getting to know her, we’ve found that her easy-going personality is something that instantly brightens ours.

Natalie Plantamura

A dedicated member of the GT swim club as well as Alpha Xi, Natalie Plantamura can usually be found near or in the CRC pool. In addition to swimming, Natalie, a business major from Augusta, GA, enjoys traveling and says that her favorite place to visit is the US Virgin Islands. Natalie says that classes getting canceled instantly brightens her day, and we would have to agree with her. In her free time, Natalie likes watching The Hangover, eating lasagna, listening to Kanye West and The Weeknd, and talking about football.

Leire Ripodas

Our chapter’s newly appointed Little Miss Sunshine, Leire Ripodas can always be found with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. Hailing all the way from Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, Leire has come to Georgia Tech to study biomedical engineering, and we are so glad that she has also decided to make Alpha Xi another one of her homes away from home. A busy girl, Leire’s hobbies include traveling, volunteering, cooking, running, and crafting homemade jewelry. She is a die-hard Justin Beiber fan, enjoys musicals, and would do just about anything for bananas, chocolate, and peanut butter (preferably mixed all together)! She says that her favorite part of Alpha Xi is the support she receives from her sisters.

Kristina Schmidt

Kristina Schmidt, a psychology major from Marietta, GA, is a huge music lover and says that she could talk about live music and concerts for hours without tiring. Some of her favorite albums include Melophobia by Cage the Elephant and Salad Days by Mac Demarco. In addition to jamming out, Kristina also enjoys working out, cuddling with her cat, painting, eating Italian food (especially pasta), and traveling. She says that her favorite place to visit is Arizona but hopes to see all 50 states one day. Kristina says that sleeping in very late on the weekends is her guilty pleasure, and we don’t blame her. Kristina’s favorite part of Alpha Xi is that everyone made her feel right at home.

Khushi Afre

Like most of us, Khushi Afre says that a good cup of coffee instantly brightens her day. A business major concentrating in finance from Lansing, MI, Khushi also loves a delicious fruit smoothie, or really just fruit in general. Her hobbies include judging debate tournaments and reading philosophy, and she says that she could talk about psychoanalytic theory for hours on end. Khushi is a lover of the Harry Potter book series, enjoys pulling all-nighters for fun, and always jumps at the chance of visiting NYC.

Mackenzie Allen

Mackenzie Allen, like many of us in this chapter, enjoys a great action movie, especially when there is plenty of adventure and a sprinkle of comedy. When not watching a blockbuster, Mackenzie, a business major with a focus on supply chains from Peachtree Corners, GA, loves reading fantasy novels, playing sports, and making crafts. Like the rest of us at Alpha Xi, Mackenzie never shies away from a good meal and says that even just seeing a dog can brighten her gloomiest of days.

Mehaa Krishnasamy

A business major from Kennesaw, GA, Mehaa Krishnasamy would kill for a scrumptious shrimp or chicken taco, and if we’re being honest, we would too. Mehaa also says that she enjoys cooking, baking, painting, and drawing. She adores the outdoors because being outside, especially when in good company, puts her in the best of moods. Her favorite place to travel is NYC, and she hopes to visit a bunch of different places in Europe in the future.