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Cynthia Stallings-Smith First Vice President, Nu Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Cynthia Stallings-Smith believes in giving back to her community. She's grateful to the people who helped her achieve success in life and she works to provide the same helping hand to youth, especially girls, in New Jersey. For more than 20 years, Cynthia has belonged to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, an international sisterhood of African-American women dedicated to community service. Cynthia joined as an undergraduate at Rider College and then became a graduate member, currently serving as First Vice President of Nu Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority became America's first Greek-letter organization established by Black college women. The sorority's roots date back to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where the idea was conceived by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of St. Louis, Mo. She viewed the sorority as an instrument for enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental stimulation through interaction with friends and associates. Cynthia has put these ideals into practice through her service to the community. Cynthia grew up in Linden, where she was a Junior Girl Scout for two years. She credits Girl Scouting with giving her confidence and teaching her to work with others. Cynthia looked up to her mother, who always pushed her hard to do her best. The hard work paid off when Cynthia graduated from Rider College, with a degree in computer science. She started out working with Western Electric, which later became BellCore. She has survived numerous corporate reorganizations of the "Baby Bells" and currently works at Telcordia Technologies in Piscataway as a software engineer. Cynthia is being honored for her work with our council's Girl Scouting Beyond Bars (GSBB) program. She is the liaison between GSBB and her sorority, organizing the dozens of volunteers who lend their talents to improve the lives of girls. Cynthia and other Alpha Kappas attend monthly meetings at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, where girls get a chance to visit with their incarcerated mothers. They also pitch in at GSBB community meetings and special events and many have a special bond with the girls in the program. Cynthia and her sorority sisters are involved with "Stomp," a drill team they organized for at-risk girls attending Franklin High School. In order to participate on the team, girls must perform community service and join the book club guided by Cynthia and other volunteers. Cynthia also finds time to tutor struggling students. In her spare time, Cynthia enjoys reading, listening to music, power-walking and jumping rope. |
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