A passion for the University of Idaho and an interest in Greek life brought Leyalle Harris, the university”s new assistant Greek life adviser, back to Moscow.
While Harris has only been in the position for a few weeks, the UI alumna said she worked long hours leading up to Greek recruitment.
“I knew what I was getting into, accepting the position right before recruitment,” Harris said, who has been in her position for a few weeks. “I learned as I went and had great help from my students.”
Harris, a past UI Delta Zeta president, said she is excited to be back on campus and is passionate about Greek life.
While Harris has assumed the assistant adviser position left vacant last May, the director of Greek life position remains vacant.
Former Director of Greek Life Brittany Bowles left UI at the end of last year”s academic year and now works in a similar position at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina.
Bowles was recently on campus to help out with the new recruitment process, Harris said.
While working in the Dean of Students office as a student, Harris said she had amazing role models that inspired her to want to work at UI.
Among her role models was Bruce Pitman, the long-time Dean of Students who retired last fall.
“I wanted to be Bruce Pitman while I was a student here,” she said. “He had such a passion for the university, had such a passion for all students, Greek and non-Greek.”
After graduating from UI, Harris took a job in Utah as an underwriter for an insurance company.
“It caused me to grow up very fast,” she said of the high-stress job. Harris said her ability to make quick decisions along with her risk management skills will serve her well in her new position.
“I don”t see it as work when I come to work everyday, I get excited to work with the students,” she said.
As a member of a sorority, Harris said she made life-long friendships and was able to assume meaningful leadership positions.
“It”s great experience for the real world,” Harris said, adding she hopes all Greek members get to assume a leadership opportunity in their house at some point.
Besides creating a positive experience for Greek students, Harris said she hopes to help Greek houses give back to the community through philanthropies and community service. She also hopes to increase student involvement in general, encouraging non-Greek students to attend Greek events such as the Red Bull Chariot races.
On the national scale, Harris said the Greek system has developed somewhat of a bad reputation with viral videos and negative headlines
But at UI, she said the biggest challenge facing the UI Greek system is keeping retention numbers high among upperclassmen Greeks.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ryantarinelli