CONTACT: Shannon Hoyt
University Communications
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Menomonie, Wis. — – A University of Wisconsin-Stout student recently was appointed to the National Council of Phi Upsilon Omicron as a collegiate representative — one of four selected across the nation.
Kennedy Navis, of Cedar Grove, Wis., a junior studying family and consumer science education, will represent Region 1 with the Tau Chapter. She is also the co-president of the chapter this year.
Phi U is an honor society of family and consumer sciences. Students in good academic standing are invited and encouraged to join. Furthermore, students who accept are initiated and can participate in community service work and gain valuable leadership skills, while developing connections on and off campus.
“It’s kind of funny how it all happened,” Navis said of her national council appointment.
Prior to Navis being named, the collegiate representative for Region 1 stepped down. In the midst of searching for a replacement, UW-Stout’s Phi U adviser Carolyn Barnhart strongly suggested Navis as a good candidate.
“She’s standing tall among leaders on our campus and also nationally,” Barnhart said. “She will be able to advise the council and the entire association of the needs of the students.”
Navis is now the voice of thousands, representing 25 chapters in her region — stretching from Iowa to the northern tip of Maine.
She represents the student voice and is responsible for communicating with the national council and organizing conclaves. Conclaves are networking events at which chapter members from around the U.S. share skills, projects and listen to guest speakers.
As a collegiate representative, Navis will attend a board meeting of the national council in Kansas City, Mo., to plan the next conclave, which will take place in Boston, Mass.
As a member of the honor society, Navis and her UW-Stout colleagues recently placed second nationally with Leadership through Service: Spread the Love, their professional project, which involved working with Cardz for Kidz and Operation Care 4 R Troops.
The UW-Stout honor society also worked with the Stepping Stones local food pantry and local nursing homes. Navis has also received an award of her own, a Phi U scholarship for the 2017-18 academic year.
Navis emphasized that being a part of Phi U is a chance to make a difference in the community and a great way to build relationships and leadership abilities.
For more information on the UW-Stout’s family and consumer sciences visit
http://www.uwstout.edu/programs/bsfcse/index.cfm.
