Omega Phi Alpha is about friendship and building individual characters, sisterhood, leadership, and helping others.
On March 29th, 2022, OPhiA lost one of its founding members – Jan Schnack Sedory. Even while dealing with a second bout of cancer, Jan was an exemplary OPA sister.
From Cleveland, Ohio, Jan attended Bowling Green State University in western Ohio. She was there, pledging Alpha chapter before it was Alpha in 1967.. It was the summer of 1967 when Alpha, Beta and Gamma came together to make a national organization. Jan would be the first to tell you about the give and take and how one chapter wanted a blue daisy and another the yellow rose. Which chapter would be alpha? How would the national organization grow? The national constitution was printed on a purple mimeograph machine.
Jan was the pledge class leader in 1969 and she was held in high esteem for her code of ethics and leadership. She was an excellent teacher which is where Jan ended up – being a lifelong teacher after she graduated in 1970. You know that all the OPA ideals were instilled in Jan and she imparted them on to her students.
Being the national president for several years, Jan was present when Delta Chapter came on board in 1971. She received the Susan Terzian award in 1980. Having a lifelong love for OPA was evident even in her illness as she jumped at the chance to become a member of the Founder’s Circle and in this way her legacy will live on in OPA memory.
Jan was there at the beginning of OPA. It is due to her extraordinary character that she was able to leave footprints on many of OPA sister’s hearts and help begin to build what OPA is today. Our prayers are with her family as they grieve the passing of a true OPA sister.
Jan, yellow roses and many thanks to you. You will be in our hearts forever.
Written by Cheryl Roberts (Beta)