I have been involved with many different organizations on campus and I have not experienced this type of closeness with any of them. I began to research Sororities through the net. and I came to find out that Latina Based Sororities actually existed, mostly in the Midwest and East Coast. I have always had this thought in my mind in creating a type of sisterhood which entails all types of diverse women who can come to support one another through each others trials and tribulations. This has been in my mind for a while now. As I began researching different Latina Based Sororities, finally the question that once puzzled me so had become clear to me. This type of support group was not impossible to create just as long as you have the ability and willingness to put your time and effort into something like this.

When I decided to make this Sorority possible for every girl who felt the way I did here at the University of Washington the decision to open it up to all ladies that were interested was not a hard decision to make, my fist step toward making this happen had begun. The one answer that I found that was most common was: " wanting to help create an environment for those who were away from home, out of state students, and those who knew no-one, to give them a feeling like they have a place were they can feel comfortable away from home( like a home away from home)."

As a transfer student I understood many of the ladies when they spoke of feeling alone and having no-one to talk to, feeling like you are the only person who does not have a place were they fit in. When I came across Gamma Alpha Omega this idea in my mind had finally found a possible foundation to where we could look toward a sisterhood that we could all share in. I had come to this understanding with the friendship I had built with a Gamma Sister through e-mail. I had never met her and the closeness I felt with her made me realize that this is what I was after and wanted to share with the ladies here at the UW. By communicating through e-mail I had come to feel that I had created a sisterly bond with this Gamma without really knowing her. I believe that this is what I had been looking for. I know that I could have looked into the African American or Caucasian Sororities, but I still would have felt like I did not belong, and in finding this same type of sisterhood exsisting within Gamma Alpha Omega is what attracted me to this group of ladies.

The type of friendship that I had experienced with this Gamma Sister is what I would like to share with the ladies here and hopefully see it happen with all our members and future members of Gamma Alpha Omega. Having people that can accept me for who I am and what I stand for is something that makes me who I am and this is a large part of what I see Gamma Alpha Omega giving to the ladies of this organization. Being able to use and live up to the pillars of Gamma Alpha Omega in a persons life is an essential part for a person to truly understand what this sisterhood is all about. A sisterhood that offers their sisters a helping hand. Being able to go through this type of organization is a life long commitment and I am ready to take this commitment to heart because I feel that we have the ability to make this happen for us and the future ladies of Gamma Alpha Omega. Once we can experience this sisterhood we will be able to help ourselves and understand what this sorority is about, is what I believed.

AND THE REST IS GAMMA HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!

MAY GAMMA LIVE ON IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER.

NOS UNOS CRESEMOS

"YO SOY UNA GAMMITA POR VIDA!"

OT-

"Gamma Alpha Omega, for me, means a surrogate family. I am from Las Vegas, NV and decided to attend the University of Washington. A big decision for me because I have no family in Seattle. A few years ago, I heard a couple of women talking about bringing the latinas on campus closer together by bringing a Latina-based sorority to campus. I thought that this is what I want to do. The Latinas/os on campus were so seperated, that I don't think anybody felt they belonged anywhere. When I began, with the other women, I knew that we would start something special and a support system for the younger girls coming into college life. As it turns out, that is exactly what it did, for me as well as the new incoming members. The two portions of Gamma that I enjoyed the most and are important to me are community service, and sisterhood. It gave me the opportunity to get to know myself better and to experience the lives of others,tambien. Attending the U-Dub gave me great friendships and an entire new familia.

Patricia Ruiz Hoeg
a.k.a. Barbie (Muneca)

~~Nina Fresa~~

Hermana Amalia Sandoval was inducted into Gamma Alpha Omega on January 24, 1995 as one of the founders of the Gamma Chapter at the University of Washington. Amalia was born and raised in Eastern Washington when her parent's immigrants from a small town in Los Sauces, Guerrero, Mexico made their home in Wapato, Washington. Amalia graduated from the University of Washington in the department of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Communication. Amalia has worked for companies such as Catapult,Microsoft, and Intermec Teechnologies. She is currently a Software Engineer working on the SAP Project Office at IBM in San Jose,California. Since her induction into Gamma Alpha Omega, Amalia has held the following positions:

Gamma Chapter Sergeant At Arms 1995-1998
Gamma Chapter Standards 1995-1998
Gamma Chapter PA Educator 1995-1997
National Secretary/Archivist 1999-2000
Hermana Sandoval's vision for Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority is to recruit as many women of color as possible. "My vision is not only to recruit them and encourage them to get a higher education, but also to help other future Latina's and their Latino communities. I hope that Gamma can give them the support, encouragement, self-esteem, strength, motivation and inspiration to achieve their goals in life. We as women of color today have the capability of achieving the dreams and goals that our ancestors and grandmothers could not. They didn't have the option, the chance, and the support that we have today. I have been astonished and impressed by what a group of women can do when they come together. I'm very proud to see people's astonished looks when they see our sisterhood and the many things we have accomplished. There will always be hard times, obstacles, and problems within the sorority and we all understand this will happen in any organization." However, what makes it so worth while is the bonding, great times and the solidarity we have within the sisterhood!

Much Gamma Luv Always,
Amalia "Salsa Queen" Sandoval
Gamma Chapter Charter 1997