During the cold Pullman winter of 1996, several Chicana/Latina women from Washington State University gathered to discuss the desire for a sisterhood that would fulfill the needs and aspirations of Latina women. The first meeting of that cold winter could not help but carry with it a little bit of tension, for not all of them knew one another. As a matter of fact, some of them were complete strangers. Fortunately, their need for a sisterhood overcame their differences and they were able to progress as desired.

With time these ladies would settle their differences but not before going through some hardships. By the summer of 1997, two of the original women had lost interest and an addition was made, leaving only five women to fulfill the dream. Although these changes were detrimental to the establishment of sorority, they only served to strengthen the sisterhood and friendship of the remaining five.

After realizing how close their dream had come to being shattered, the remaining five agreed to pledge their commitment and dedication to one another and promised never to let their differences come in the way of their sisterhood.

As these young women first discussed their desires, they discovered that a true sisterhood should not only instill the values of friendship, but should also be able to maintain them consistently. Therefore, it was decided that the disciplines of Honesty and Integrity would be essential to the foundation of their creation. As young scholars, they also agreed that it was fundamental to instill the values of service but also to excel within a university environment. With these values in mind, they began the search for a sorority that would leave a lasting impression on the Washington State University campus.

They performed an extensive search of all Latina based sororities. However, in their search for their ideal sisterhood, only one sorority repeatedly captured their discussions--Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc.

Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc., not only defined the values of Honesty, Integrity, Leadership and Scholarship but also included the values of Unity which strengthened the foundation of a sisterhood. After great consideration they unanimously decided to fulfill their destiny and make Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc., a part of their lives.

On January 25th, 1997, Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority Sorority, Inc., recognized Sonia Alvarez, Doraly Contreras, Elena Garcia, Mareth Flores and Veronica Mendez as the Delta Colony (Delta Petitioning Group), making these Distinguished Ladies the official Founding Mothers of what would soon be named the Delta Chapter. In the Fall of 1997, months prior to attaining Chapter status, the Founding Mothers made an essential addition to their incorporation and chartered four incredible Damas. These were Sylvia Mendez, Michelle Moore, Evelia Sandoval and Jessica Sherburne. Together, these ladies were able to captivate the dream and make it a reality.

The Delta Colony II (Charter) was proud to obtain Chapter status on the magical Friday evening of April 24th, 1998. the Distinguished Damas of the Delta Chapter have continued to carry a tradition of Honesty, Integrity, Leadership, Scholarship and Unity. To date, the family of the Delta Chapter proudly welcomes and readily enfolds women of all ethnicities and backgrounds.

By Delta Chapter Founder