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In the December of 1975 at Kean University in New Jersey, Lambda Theta Alpha was recognized as the First Latina Sorority founded in the United States. Amidst the political and social revolutions surrounding the Feminist Liberation and Civil Rights Movements of the 60’s and 70’s, our 17 Founding Mothers recognized the need to combat machismo attitudes and racial prejudice by gaining a voice in the collegiate realm. Responding to this need, Lambda Theta Alpha was established upon the principles of Unity, Love, and Respect, creating a support system to empower the Universal Woman while upholding scholarly excellence, cultural and political awareness, and community activism.
Although LTA was the first sorority to cater to the needs of the Latina woman, not all 17 Founding Mothers were of Latin decent. We follow the motto, “Latin by Tradition, not by definition,” with sisters representing over 120 different cultural identities across the nation. Today, we have 147 chapters in 20 states East to West, making us the largest, and one of the most respected, Latina-based organizations in the nation. |
QUICK FACTS
Founded: Kean University, in New Jersey in December of 1975
Principles: Unity, Love, and Respect
Colors: Burgundy and Gray
Also known as: LTA, Lambda Ladies
Original Concept: Lambda Theta Alpha was the first sorority in the nation to cater to the needs of Latina women.
Goals: Scholarly excellence, empowerment of Latinas and the universal woman, cultural and political awareness, and community activism.
Traditions: Lambda Theta Alpha has a unique hand-sign, a distinctive call, and performs traditional salutes, chants, and strolls (party walks).
Orientation: Lambda Theta Alpha represents women of all races, religions, creeds, and sexual orientations.
Principles: Unity, Love, and Respect
Colors: Burgundy and Gray
Also known as: LTA, Lambda Ladies
Original Concept: Lambda Theta Alpha was the first sorority in the nation to cater to the needs of Latina women.
Goals: Scholarly excellence, empowerment of Latinas and the universal woman, cultural and political awareness, and community activism.
Traditions: Lambda Theta Alpha has a unique hand-sign, a distinctive call, and performs traditional salutes, chants, and strolls (party walks).
Orientation: Lambda Theta Alpha represents women of all races, religions, creeds, and sexual orientations.
OFFICERS
President: Kimberly Ortiz - [email protected]
Vice President: Karen Ortiz - [email protected]
Chapter Recruitment & Retention Chair: Arely Valera - [email protected]
Chapter Community Service Chair: Joanna Ramirez - [email protected]
Chapter Social Chair: Yarenis Helguera - [email protected]
Lifetime Sisterhood: The love members of Lambda Theta Alpha have for our organization runs deep, and with alumni and graduate chapters all over the nation, Lambda Ladies remain involved throughout their adult lives. These accomplished sisters offer priceless bonds, invaluable life experiences, and unparalleled networking opportunities, all further enriching the sisterhood.Lambda Theta Alpha truly is “A sisterhood for life.”
Vice President: Karen Ortiz - [email protected]
Chapter Recruitment & Retention Chair: Arely Valera - [email protected]
Chapter Community Service Chair: Joanna Ramirez - [email protected]
Chapter Social Chair: Yarenis Helguera - [email protected]
Lifetime Sisterhood: The love members of Lambda Theta Alpha have for our organization runs deep, and with alumni and graduate chapters all over the nation, Lambda Ladies remain involved throughout their adult lives. These accomplished sisters offer priceless bonds, invaluable life experiences, and unparalleled networking opportunities, all further enriching the sisterhood.Lambda Theta Alpha truly is “A sisterhood for life.”
MISSION
The purpose of Lambda Theta Alpha shall be to provide a sisterhood based on unity, love, and respect. To develop strong leaders who will then provide and practice political, social and cultural activities. Promote unity through charitable and educational programs. Maintain a higher standard of learning and serve as a voice for all students.
chapter philanthropy
C.A.M.B.I.O (Changing Attitudes through Motivation, Beliefs, and Inspiration for Opportunities)
In a search for an inner city school experiencing a scarcity of counseling and educational resources, we discovered Jordan High School in Watts, California and selected this site to be the foundation of our all-encompassing mentoring program, C.A.M.B.I.O. Our most supportive staff member Luis Galvan has been thrilled by not only the mere existence of such program for young Latina Students, but by the amazing feedback he receives from the girls themselves. In a low funded school like Jordan High School our program is a true gem, which in such little time has contributed a thousand fold to the staff and students of Jordan High. Originally our program was structured to make a difference in the lives of misrepresented students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (particularly focusing on high honors students) by providing workshops and resources for students and parents, some of which pertain to the importance of a college education, leadership, character building, identity and cultural awareness, community involvement, career options, and other issues that affect teens today.
However, as we established ourselves at Jordan High School, we soon realized most of the girls attending our program were in the ESL (English as a second language) program. This new reality completely shifted our agenda from a primarily college oriented program to a more personal, knit-tight network that addressed a myriad of issues far exceeding mere educational programming. A discussion with Luis Galvan opened our eyes to the struggles and realities of the young girls with whom we were now working. It was then that we realized that programming for C.A.M.B.I.O. would be oriented by addressing issues through the lens of an immigrant Latina attending a low funded inner city school. Oriented by both the immigrant and women’s experience, many of our workshops would address issues of Latina women’s empowerment, self-esteem, exploration of self-identity within the context of an adolescent immigrant, scarcity of resources in low income schools, and discovery of one’s sense of political efficacy as a student part of a historically marginalized group. However, our program could not simply ignore the needs of the males in the school we serve. Thus, we joined forces with a Latino men's leadership organization on campus to provide the same resources and support for the males at Jordan High School as we provide for females.
Reaching out to the youth is especially important to us because we are aware of the struggles students come across that may stray them from their aspirations. In fact, many of us, as Latinas, overcame major life obstacles in order to achieve our successes. Some of these hindrances may include familial problems, gang violence, lack of adequate resources or knowledge of them, and peer pressure. We crave to inspire these young women to defy the odds, become something greater than they can only imagine, and help them to realize their potential to positively impact their communities.
National Philanthropy: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Community Service Projects: In addition to C.A.M.B.I.O., Delta Rho Chapter involves itself in a plethora of other community service endeavors including Minority Blood Drives, AIDS Walk, Project P.O.D.E.R. (mural painting with inner-city schools in conjunction with Lambda Upsilon Lambda), Beach Clean-ups, Skid Row Hygiene and Lunch Outreach, Charity Softball Tournaments, Educational Symposiums, etc.
In a search for an inner city school experiencing a scarcity of counseling and educational resources, we discovered Jordan High School in Watts, California and selected this site to be the foundation of our all-encompassing mentoring program, C.A.M.B.I.O. Our most supportive staff member Luis Galvan has been thrilled by not only the mere existence of such program for young Latina Students, but by the amazing feedback he receives from the girls themselves. In a low funded school like Jordan High School our program is a true gem, which in such little time has contributed a thousand fold to the staff and students of Jordan High. Originally our program was structured to make a difference in the lives of misrepresented students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (particularly focusing on high honors students) by providing workshops and resources for students and parents, some of which pertain to the importance of a college education, leadership, character building, identity and cultural awareness, community involvement, career options, and other issues that affect teens today.
However, as we established ourselves at Jordan High School, we soon realized most of the girls attending our program were in the ESL (English as a second language) program. This new reality completely shifted our agenda from a primarily college oriented program to a more personal, knit-tight network that addressed a myriad of issues far exceeding mere educational programming. A discussion with Luis Galvan opened our eyes to the struggles and realities of the young girls with whom we were now working. It was then that we realized that programming for C.A.M.B.I.O. would be oriented by addressing issues through the lens of an immigrant Latina attending a low funded inner city school. Oriented by both the immigrant and women’s experience, many of our workshops would address issues of Latina women’s empowerment, self-esteem, exploration of self-identity within the context of an adolescent immigrant, scarcity of resources in low income schools, and discovery of one’s sense of political efficacy as a student part of a historically marginalized group. However, our program could not simply ignore the needs of the males in the school we serve. Thus, we joined forces with a Latino men's leadership organization on campus to provide the same resources and support for the males at Jordan High School as we provide for females.
Reaching out to the youth is especially important to us because we are aware of the struggles students come across that may stray them from their aspirations. In fact, many of us, as Latinas, overcame major life obstacles in order to achieve our successes. Some of these hindrances may include familial problems, gang violence, lack of adequate resources or knowledge of them, and peer pressure. We crave to inspire these young women to defy the odds, become something greater than they can only imagine, and help them to realize their potential to positively impact their communities.
National Philanthropy: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Community Service Projects: In addition to C.A.M.B.I.O., Delta Rho Chapter involves itself in a plethora of other community service endeavors including Minority Blood Drives, AIDS Walk, Project P.O.D.E.R. (mural painting with inner-city schools in conjunction with Lambda Upsilon Lambda), Beach Clean-ups, Skid Row Hygiene and Lunch Outreach, Charity Softball Tournaments, Educational Symposiums, etc.
chapter History
In the Fall of 2006, a group of young ladies came together in search of an organization that sought to empower the Universal Woman. Having realized the urgent need for an organization with strong academic support, professionalism, and political and community activism introduced these ladies to the Lambda Theta Alpha family. After much consideration, these 16 women concluded that Lambda Theta Alpha would provide the perfect medium for them to achieve their goals. Sixteen ladies, sixteen visions, sixteen different opinions all became the foundation for L.A.T.I.N.A.S. (Ladies Actively Taking Initiative through Networking, Academics, and Social justice). Their persistent efforts to gain recognition on campus and provide a motivational atmosphere for Bruin Latinas solidified the beginning of their journey.
Having determinately demonstrated their ethic for service and bonds of sisterhood as L.A.T.I.N.A.S., they were received by the Latino Greek Council as the Interested Ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha at UCLA in the Spring of 2007. One year later, in the Spring of 2008, Delta Rho Chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha was established at UCLA. After two dedicated years, what began with 16, grew to 60, and finished strong with 29 proud founding sisters. That year, the University of California, Los Angeles saw the birth of what started as a vision—an idea of an organization, a sisterhood that would cater to the needs of Latinas and the Universal Woman.
Dubbed the “Untouchable, Unstoppable Delta Rho Chapter, where overachievers are born,” we are the single most awarded organization in UCLA’s Latino Greek Council since our establishment.
Having determinately demonstrated their ethic for service and bonds of sisterhood as L.A.T.I.N.A.S., they were received by the Latino Greek Council as the Interested Ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha at UCLA in the Spring of 2007. One year later, in the Spring of 2008, Delta Rho Chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha was established at UCLA. After two dedicated years, what began with 16, grew to 60, and finished strong with 29 proud founding sisters. That year, the University of California, Los Angeles saw the birth of what started as a vision—an idea of an organization, a sisterhood that would cater to the needs of Latinas and the Universal Woman.
Dubbed the “Untouchable, Unstoppable Delta Rho Chapter, where overachievers are born,” we are the single most awarded organization in UCLA’s Latino Greek Council since our establishment.
awards
2016-2017
CAA3 Undergraduate Chapter of the Year
UCLA LGC Campus Involvement Award
UCLA LGC Academic Excellence Award
UCLA LGC Chapter President of the Year
UCLA LGC Campus Leadership Award
Organizational Leadership Award
2015-2016
Organizational Leadership Award
UCLA LGC President's Award
UCLA Organization of the Year
UCLA LGC Campus Involvement Cup
UCLA LGC Website of the year
3 New Inductees into Order of Omega Honor Society
Senior Scholarship, Freshman Scholarship
CAA3 Most Innovative Chapter of the year
CAA3 Undergraduate of the Year
2014-2015
UCLA LGC Latina of the Year
UCLA LGC Advisors’ Omega Award
UCLA LGC Website of the Year
9 New Inductees into Order of Omega Honor Society
7 New Inductees into Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Honor Society
2013-2014
NALFO Sorority of the Year
UCLA LGC Organization of the Year
UCLA LGC Academic Excellence Award
UCLA LGC Latina Greek of the Year
2nd Place Standards of Excellence Award
CASA2 New Sister of the Year
CASA2 Undergraduate Sister of the Year
6 New Inductees into the Order of Omega Honor Society
6 New Inductees into Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Honor Society
CAA3 Undergraduate Chapter of the Year
UCLA LGC Campus Involvement Award
UCLA LGC Academic Excellence Award
UCLA LGC Chapter President of the Year
UCLA LGC Campus Leadership Award
Organizational Leadership Award
2015-2016
Organizational Leadership Award
UCLA LGC President's Award
UCLA Organization of the Year
UCLA LGC Campus Involvement Cup
UCLA LGC Website of the year
3 New Inductees into Order of Omega Honor Society
Senior Scholarship, Freshman Scholarship
CAA3 Most Innovative Chapter of the year
CAA3 Undergraduate of the Year
2014-2015
UCLA LGC Latina of the Year
UCLA LGC Advisors’ Omega Award
UCLA LGC Website of the Year
9 New Inductees into Order of Omega Honor Society
7 New Inductees into Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Honor Society
2013-2014
NALFO Sorority of the Year
UCLA LGC Organization of the Year
UCLA LGC Academic Excellence Award
UCLA LGC Latina Greek of the Year
2nd Place Standards of Excellence Award
CASA2 New Sister of the Year
CASA2 Undergraduate Sister of the Year
6 New Inductees into the Order of Omega Honor Society
6 New Inductees into Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Honor Society