A group of WSU students is looking to bring the first professional agriculture sorority to Washington State by founding a chapter of Sigma Alpha, which has 80 chapters nationwide.

Allison Seeber, a sophomore agricultural education major, is the new president of Sigma Alpha, which currently has 18 members. While they are already a registered student organization at WSU as of six days ago, they still have to work out a few things with the national chapter before they can become official.

Though they are the only chapter in the state, Seeber said the University of Idaho has a chapter, which they can go to if they have any questions.

“I think it would be different if we were at UW,” she said, “but that’s not really an agriculture school.”

Though some Sigma Alpha chapters fall under the Panhellenic Council, WSU’s chapter chose not to, Seeber said. But because they do have that option, students who are members of Panhellenic sororities will not be able to join.

A student does not have to be in a major related to agriculture to join the sorority, Seeber said. Students just need to have an interest in agriculture. Seeber said she has known she wanted to work in agriculture since her sophomore year of high school, when she worked with her 4-H club and the National FFA Organization.

The founders are currently recruiting from various agriculture clubs and classes, she said.

Seeber started the process of opening this chapter in mid-March. She said that while there are many agriculture-related clubs at WSU, she was looking for something more.

“I knew [the sorority] was at the University of Idaho and other campuses and I wondered why it wasn’t at WSU,” Seeber said.

The sorority’s goal is to recruit by the fall. While they can get a house eventually, they do not have the money for that yet, Seeber said.

Sigma Alpha’s 18 members include a small officer team and other non-officer members, she said.

“I’m just happy to see all the support I have,” Seeber said. “It’s not just me anymore.”

Mackenzie Daschofsky, a junior animal science major, is vice president of the sorority. Daschofsky and Seeber are long-time friends, and when Daschofsky heard about Seeber’s project, she decided to jump on board.

Daschofsky has also been a part of 4-H and the FFA, she said. In addition, she has been involved with the WSU Student Swine Cooperative.

Nicole Buell, a junior animal science major, is in charge of public relations for Sigma Alpha. Buell said she originally began the process of starting a WSU chapter of Ceres, a women’s professional agriculture fraternity. When she heard about Seeber starting Sigma Alpha, she got involved with that process instead.

Buell went to a convention this year and met several Sigma Alpha members from other schools.

Seeber and the other Sigma Alpha officers are working on the program of activities, which, if all goes as planned, might include the Emerald Ball in the spring semester, which is the chapter’s annual formal and banquet.

“There are a few of us that are staying in the summer,” Seeber said, “so hopefully we can get more work done then.”

Daschofsky is also staying in Pullman this summer, but Buell has to return home to help work on her dairy farm.

The officers have not decided on the chapter dues yet, but the national dues are $70, Seeber said.

The benefits of joining Sigma Alpha include multiple leadership seminars and the opportunity to apply for national scholarships, she said.

Seeber said there is a six-week membership education training process she and some of the other officers have to go to in order to officially recruit in the fall. They will learn about Greek life and the history of Sigma Alpha during those six weeks, she said. Seeber said they are hoping to start and finish this process during the summer.

“We’re still learning,” Seeber said. “It’s a work in progress.”

Editor’s note: This article has been revised to reflect the proper name of the National FFA Organization.