Leadership in Action Scholarship

In the Spring of 2024, I entered the Divine 9 and became a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated. It has been such a wonderful journey, but also came with quite a few challenges. Because Black Greek Life is fairly small in California, my chapter only consisted of 5 members at the time--which lead to me becoming Vice President, Membership Chair, and Secretary all within weeks of my induction. The immediate responsibility was definitely a learning experience. I had to balance my chapter's needs with my own, while still being available for my friends and family who needed me. I recently attended the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values conference where I was able to speak with and learn from hundreds of other students in the same position that I am in. The experience reignited my love for my organization and desire to strive for change and improvements within my campus. My chapter values service and scholarship. We constantly brainstorm ways to support our student body in their academic endeavors--such as hosting study nights and bringing in post-grad professionals to speak with students trying to figure out what their own post-grad plans are. We also work very hard to serve our community. We are currently finding ways to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital, as well as hosting multiple events a year meant to support underprivileged women and children. Everything we do is for the public and with our student body in mind. In my board positions, I have become solely responsible for planning these events and making sure all logistics are in place to ensure students have access to all that we offer, as well as ensuring we are always giving back. I also strive to make sure we maintain a good relationship with our school president to ensure he continues to support our efforts and protect our campus diversity resource centers amidst the world of the Trump Administration. As a black student at a predominately white school, it is hard to gain the recognition and support that the predominately white organizations have, but as a leader it is my goal to make sure we are always heard, seen, and acknowledged. I try my best to represent my organization and community at all events my school hosts to encourage support for my community in a country where that support is slowly being taken away. As Membership Chair, I plan on bringing in many more members and visibility for not only my organization, but also my community in hopes of encouraging more diversity and equity on my campus.