Mary Beth Rice

My name is Mary Beth Rice and I am a Nebraskan, growing up in Fremont, NE and attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I currently live in Lincoln with my husband, Rich, and our four children. My daughter, Mary Claire, is a senior in college this year. My son, Richie, is a freshman at The Colorado School of Mines, and he has two younger brothers, Jack and Sam. Being outdoors, gardening, reading, journaling, baking and attending the kids' various sporting and music activities are all passions of mine. We are also (of course!) Cornhusker Football Fans. I am a full-time parent and a part-time communications consultant, owning my own business, MBR Strategies. My daughter is in a sorority at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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This is our role as a parent of a college age daughter or son: To encourage, to inspire and to process.

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November is typically the month that sorority women hold their elections for leadership in their chapter. Because a sorority chapter can be made up of many qualified and capable leaders it can be a sensitive time for your daughter if she has a desire to invest in and make a difference in her sorority in Read the Rest…

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Now that my daughter is embarking on her junior year, the family adjustments have been made so moving her to college in the fall has gotten less heartbreaking. Yet, in the past few days I have been visiting with my girlfriends who have just taken their first and/or only daughters to college. The memory of Read the Rest…

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New York City is truly the city that never sleeps, and I write this final segment of the “College Internship Experience” exhausted but satisfied from a brief visit at the conclusion of my daughter’s summer internship in the city. We had  great fun catching two Broadway shows, several H & M stores, the MOMA, the Read the Rest…

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Remembering the Alfred Lord Tennyson quote, I am a part of all I have met, reminds me that our friendships through Greek life are lifelong and multigenerational. Be grateful that your daughters have this connection.

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May has arrived! What happened to March and April? I have been remiss in my blogging of late but writing on Mother’s Day weekend seems fitting since I have my parenting hat on as I write this (AND-my sorority daughter currently has 25 baskets, sacks, and boxes of “stuff” sitting in my foyer! How did Read the Rest…

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I recently read a book written by Bruce Feiler entitled The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me. Bruce is a father of two young daughters and was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Upon contemplating his death and all that he might miss in guiding, loving, and nurturing Read the Rest…

college life,Greek life,mother's perspective,Parent's Perspective,sorority life

Having my college daughter home for Thanksgiving was a joy.  I think she appreciated the comforts and safe haven home provided-especially as the semester is winding down and there are tests and projects to work through as well as transitioning into 2nd semester planning with a new roommate in her sorority, a new leadership position, Read the Rest…

career exploration,college life,Greek life,mother's perspective,Parent's Perspective,peer mentors,resources for college,sorority life,sorority mentors

My daughter, Mary Claire, is experiencing her third semester of college and each semester she seems to get a bit closer to choosing her career focus, having made alterations to her declared ‘majored’ a few times over. She remains an Art major but her interest in graphic design led her to declare a double major Read the Rest…

college life,Greek life,mother's perspective,Parent's Perspective,sorority life,sorority recruitment

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to speak at our local University to the parents of potential new members going through Recruitment. It was move in day; the auditorium full of tired and emotional parents. I was asked to share some advice on what role they could play in their daughters’ upcoming sorority Read the Rest…