Reporter: Alana Lynch
TEMPE– The ambitious ladies of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc., at Arizona State University utilize their resources and motivation to enhance the youth within the Latinx community and their members.
Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc. was founded on March 11th, 1986 at California State University, Chico, although the ASU chapter was established on March 28, 2009.
The purpose of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc. is to break down barriers for the Latinas within their community. Their pillars include academic, service, and sisterhood and they uphold those pillars through campus activities and community service. These events focus on academic excellence and provide an environment for personal growth within the sisterhood.
Nataly Acala, Member of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc., shared her reasoning behind joining the organization.
Acala said that she noticed how big of a school ASU was and she was looking for a community she could be a part of. She ventured through many different clubs but found that Lambda Theta Nu was the perfect environment for her to be herself.
The group hosts various events throughout the year that are community service-focused and provide the youth with community service hours.
Their biggest event is the Latina Youth Leadership Conference which occurs during the spring semester. The event encourages everyone to attend but their targeted audience is the Latina youth in neighboring middle and high schools.
The conference includes cultural performances, a keynote speaker, and educational breakout sessions. These breakout sessions include information regarding healthy relationships, self-esteem, leadership development, and higher education.
Luisa Ibanez Martinez, President of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc., discussed the impact of the event on the youth.
“We want to encourage the younger generations to pursue education and let them know that it is possible, and people who look like them, can also graduate college and can pursue any career,” Martinez said.
Many of the members of the sorority are first-generation students and they ensure that other first-generation students are aware of the opportunities that are often overlooked. The organization wants to set the example that these resources are accessible and available even if you are first generation.
Diana Cortes, Vice President of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority Inc., illustrated the organization’s mission to discredit the stereotypes within the Latinx community.
Cortes said that the idea that Latinas should be staying at home and being submissive to a man or needing somebody else to be successful is a way society tries to pre-decide their futures.
The organization intends to show the Latinas within their community are capable of so much more than those numbers that are used to hinder them.
“The community pushes me to do better academically because we have similar goals in mind and our sorority has been number one in council on our GPA and this accomplishment pushes me to do better,” Cortes said.
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