Alpha Phi

Message from the President

Hello! My name is Mary Fanslau and I’m a third year Clinical Nutrition and the Chapter President of Alpha Phi! I decided to go through primary recruitment because I felt overwhelmed by how large UC Davis is, and I was eager to find a strong, supportive group of women. Growing up playing competitive soccer, I was used to being part of a close team of driven, encouraging women, and I really wanted to find that same sense of community in college. From the beginning, I felt like the women in this chapter were not only welcoming, but also driven, kind, and passionate about lifting each other up. It felt like a place where I could grow into the person and leader I wanted to become. 

What makes my chapter special is our culture of support and accountability. We challenge each other to grow academically, socially, and professionally while always showing up for one another. Our philanthropy, the Alpha Phi Foundation, focuses on women’s heart health, which makes our impact even more meaningful through both fundraising and awareness. I am proud to represent Alpha Phi because of the values we uphold and the impact we have on both our members and our community. We truly prioritize leadership, service, and personal growth. I ran for Chapter President because I care deeply about this chapter and wanted to give back to a community that has given me so much. I’m passionate about creating an environment where every member feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed. 

In March 2026, our chapter hosted our annual Red Dress Gala, the largest philanthropy event supporting the Alpha Phi Foundation, where we raised $25,000 for women’s heart health research. The event brings together our chapter and the broader community to raise both funds and awareness for women’s heart health, a critical issue that is often overlooked. Being able to support women in such a tangible way is truly an honor. I am incredibly honored to serve as Chapter President of a sorority that is directly dedicated to improving women’s heart health. The opportunity to raise awareness for women’s health means so much to me, especially knowing that women have historically been underrepresented in clinical research. I am beyond proud to spend my college years supporting a cause that is specifically dedicated to empowering and protecting women’s health.

Message from the Recruitment Team

Hi!! My name is Elise Tokushige, I am a 3rd year Molecular and Medical Microbiology major and VP membership recruitment. I joined Alpha Phi because the girls I talked to during recruitment felt super welcoming, and conversation flowed seamlessly with everyone I met. As a STEM major, I was honestly nervous about schoolwork and not having time to join Greek Life, but the girls I met at Alpha Phi showed me that being in a sorority and prioritizing academics can coexist. I’ve had countless study sessions with my sisters, and I loved how the women of Alpha Phi created a perfect balance between school and sorority life.

Alpha Phi is special because of how diverse our chapter is, with all kinds of different majors, backgrounds, ethnicities, personalities and hometowns. It’s beautiful to be sisters with so many different, accomplished women and to form unique bonds with each one of them.

I actually met my best friend through Alpha Phi! I met Kayla on bid night and found out we were both from the same hometown. We instantly clicked, and we went from Akasha sisterhoods, to heated rivalry watch parties, to road tripping home together, and just recently traveling across the world to Bali together! We are also going to be living together next year and I am so hyped for it. I never imagined I would grow so close with someone in the short 4 years of college, but with Kayla, it feels like we’ve known each other forever. Joining Greek life was one of the best decisions I made in college, and I went Greek because I have always had a strong girl group of friends and leaving them when I came to college was very difficult. I wanted to find this bond here at Davis and going Greek surrounded me with the most amazing women.  This year, I am extremely excited to meet even more amazing people and show all of you what Alpha Phi means to us! I love to show off my sisters and tell their stories, and I can’t wait to hear all of your stories as well!

Hi everyone! My name is Esha Shetty, and I am a third-year psychology major with an emphasis in biology. I currently serve as the Director of Primary Recruitment for Alpha Phi, and I’m so excited to meet all of you. Coming into Davis, I was unsure about going through recruitment and I had no idea what to expect, but I ultimately decided to give it a chance, and it’s a decision I am grateful for every single day. 

As an only child, I always wished I had sisters growing up, and Alpha Phi has given me exactly that. I went through recruitment with my freshman year roommate, Ellie, and we both ended up joining Alpha Phi. Over the past three years, we’ve lived together, traveled together, visited each other’s hometowns, and grown incredibly close, she truly feels like family. Another part of Alpha Phi that means so much to me is the big-little experience. I truly can’t imagine my college journey without my big, Melayna, and my little, Yare. Melayna has been an incredible role model and such a constant source of support. And Yare came into my life in such a meaningful way that it’s hard to imagine what Davis was like before her, she’s always making me laugh and I’ve grown so much because of her. I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through Davis without these girls, and I feel so lucky to have them in my life

I truly believe in the saying “the people make the place”, and Davis would not be the same for me without the women in Alpha Phi. I am surrounded by so many people who are so kind, driven, funny, and inspire me to be better every day, while also accepting me exactly as I am. They have made Davis a home and I know these friendships will carry with me long after college.

I am beyond excited for recruitment this year because it was such a pivotal and special experience for me. Being able to now give back and help create that same feeling for others is incredibly meaningful. I am looking forward to meeting all of you, hearing your stories, and sharing what makes Alpha Phi such a unique and special place!