Young alumni spotlight: Harp passes on guidance as Greek life adviser
Alexis Harp
By Cam Adams
Alexis Harp was lost her first few semesters of undergrad. Imposter syndrome was hitting her hard. She was a first-generation college student navigating the world of higher education, and to top it all off, she originally didn鈥檛 even want to go to college.
But her advisors at North Carolina Central University were her saving grace.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really have people back home that I could talk to that kind of understood what I was going through,鈥� Harp said. 鈥淚 just really had to lean on my advisers and just talk to them through things.鈥�
A bachelor鈥檚 degree from NCCU and a master鈥檚 in higher education from Western Carolina University later, Harp is passing on that favor. Over a year after her graduation from 51看片in May 2024, Harp began guiding students herself as an assistant director for Greek life at the University of Georgia.
Harp is no stranger to the Greek life scene. Soon after she started her master鈥檚 at WCU, Harp worked as a graduate assistant, advising the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Order of Omega on campus.
Upon completing her degree at WCU, Harp became the assistant director of student involvement and leadership at Duke University.
There, she advised a grant-funded initiative called Penny Pilgrim George and Duke鈥檚 NPHC and Multicultural Greek Council with a Greek community of just 132 students.
At Georgia, she works with over 10,000 students.
鈥淭he position so far has been pretty good. It's just been a lot of transitioning,鈥� Harp said. 鈥淭he Greek life community is a lot bigger, so that has given me the opportunity to learn more of things I had an awareness of, but didn't really know in depth. A lot more focus on policy and procedure.鈥�
Along with working with the NPHC at Georgia, Harp also helps with community service initiatives.
One of the biggest things Harp has been able to assist with since she started at UGA in July was Pan-Hellenic recruitment. Bid day was a success at UGA, as Harp enjoyed seeing everyone open their cards and seeing all of the sorority and fraternity houses decorated.
鈥淚t was good just to be able to look back now at how I was able to do this stuff with my old supervisor when I was at Western in grad school, helping him with Pan-Hellenic recruitment,鈥� Harp said.
鈥淚 was able to see it from the other side and was able to walk through things and kind of refresh my memory on things I already knew.鈥�
Though Harp learned a great deal in the classroom during her time as a Catamount, the things she took in outside of it mattered, too.
Harp said she learned that you don鈥檛 always have to say 鈥榶es鈥� to every opportunity that comes your way. Sometimes those opportunities don鈥檛 align with what you want to do, or they鈥檙e just not feasible.
Harp also learned the importance of showing up during her time at WCU.
鈥淭hat was something that was really big for me in graduate school, showing up for students I advise, but also showing up for different peers in their areas and different colleagues that we're working with,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat helped me develop relationships really fast.鈥�
But perhaps one of the biggest lessons she learned in Cullowhee was something she mentioned in her commencement speech in May of 2024: it鈥檚 OK to ask for help.
鈥淚 had a professor, Dr. (Yancey) Gulley, that really helped me understand the importance of asking for help,鈥� Harp said.
鈥淚 think that's something that I've really been able to take with me is that I don't have to learn to do everything by myself, and I don't have to try to navigate and struggle to prove a point to someone. If I need assistance, it's OK to ask for assistance.鈥�
