Hazing Prevention and Leadership Speaker for College Students
Mindy Sopher's Programs
Getting to the Heart of Hazing
Getting to the Heart of Hazing is an interactive keynote that moves beyond the typical hazing presentation to spark real, heartfelt conversations about care, accountability, and community. With a nurturing yet direct approach, Mindy Sopher challenges students to explore the long-term impact of hazing and equips them with tangible strategies to create safer, more supportive environments—whether in Greek life, athletics, or other student organizations.
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Mindy Sopher has “been to too many funerals” – of former students and of former fraternity and sorority chapters. Most have been lost to hazing behaviors, many involving alcohol and “dumb choices.” It almost always boils down to one simple thing – brothers and sisters not taking care of each other.
In this interactive keynote, Mindy takes the “mandatory hazing program” to a more personal level and helps brothers and sisters dig deep. She helps them discover caring ways to honor people and traditions around new member education, without harmful hazing behaviors. She explores unseen damaging effects of hazing and teaches students how to confront and deal with those who would make uncaring choices.
Mindy has adapted the program to other campus audiences beyond Greek Life – athletics, religious groups, clubs, band, etc. Her nurturing voice challenges college men and women to work for something better, safer, honorable, heartfelt, and successful.
Audience members will…
Explore caring as the essential component to member education and brotherhood/sisterhood
Become aware of the long-term effects of hazing
Engage in the process of creating fun, healthy, and non-hazing methods to grow great members
Develop actionable steps to prevent and stop hazing immediately
Ideal Audiences
- Fraternity and Sorority Life
- Athletics
- Student Organizations
- Community Colleges
Meet Mindy Sopher
Mindy Sopher has been a professional advisor and mentor to students in Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and at NC State University in Raleigh. Currently, she teaches Nonprofit Leadership and Development and advises communications majors there. Mindy notes that she has received some amazing honors but muses that she still dreams of coaching an elementary school Girls Basketball Team named the Sopher Gophers some day.
Among other things, Mindy has:
- Four times been named as Outstanding Faculty in the Communication Department.
- Received the Association of Fraternity Advisors Distinguished Service Award and the Robert H. Shaffer Award (lifetime achievement) Award
- Had a Graduate Scholarship created in her name by her own Kappa Delta Sorority and given to women entering the field of Higher Education
- Been named National Greek Advisor of the Year by the Sigma Nu Fraternity
- Had a “lovely crystal cup” named for her and given to the Outstanding NC State sorority every year at the Wolfpack Homecoming
- Celebrated November 20, now known as Mindy Sopher Day in Raleigh as proclaimed by Mayor Charles Meeker
- Received “The Order of the Long Leaf Pine” from Governor Beverly Purdue
On a more personal note, in her free time, Mindy raises English Bulldogs, enjoys gardening, and therapeutic coloring, and learning something new every day. Most important, though, says Mindy, is that she is blessed to have survived cancer five times and is still going strong!
She is hoping to finish her doctorate in Ag. Extension and Leadership Education concentrating on Youth Leadership at NC State before the university decides to give it to her posthumously!
