.
While this day commemorated the foundation of the organization it also brought together
hermanas from across the country for our annual Founders’ weekend hosted by the
National Executive Board and the Alpha Iota Chapter at Rutgers University, New
Brunswick Campus.
During the day, hermanas convened for the sorority’s Fall
General Body Meeting where they celebrated the launch of the Gold Ribbon
campaign. This is a year long
campaign to support one of SIA’s philanthropies, Special Olympics, by raising awareness about how sports
training and competition improves the lives of people with intellectual
disabilities.
During the evening, hermanas came together for the annual founders’
banquet at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The theme of this year’s banquet was
“Dare to Dream.”
The evening’s
festivities were comprised of awards, recognitions, dining and dancing,
beginning with a cocktail reception where hermanas, family, friends and other
Greek organizations networked and mingled. The banquet commenced with a motivational and inspiring
speech by keynote speaker, Gloria Rodriguez, founder of DeAlmas Women’s
Collective, an organization which seeks to empower women of color through
spiritual and educational development.
Later, attendees were graced with a reflection by four of SIA’s Founding
Mothers. Miriam Rodriguez, Dora
Maria Abreu, Norma Porras, and Grecia Sanchez shared a dream that was conceived
seventeen years ago of an Hermandad that would inspire Latina women across the
nation to dream and manifest those dreams. Their dreams have manifested into what today is Hermandad de
Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc.
The
night’s entertainment was provided by Signatura Dance Company and SIA’s very own
National Stroll Team (NST). The Signatura dancers performed an exciting salsa
rendition that had everyone dancing in their seats. After the NST’s performance, Brenda Medina-Tollinchi
received an award of appreciation from the organization and the NST for her
hard work and dedication to the Hermandad and the team. Ms. Medina-Tollinchi announced earlier
this year that she would be retiring as National Stroll Mistress after more
than ten years of service. Other
recognitions included Lambda Sigma Upsilon, Latino Fraternity, Inc., for their
continuous support and demonstration of true Greek unity. Furthermore, SIA along with the
Solidaridad Inspiracion Amistad Community Foundation, Inc. awarded the annual
Excelen-SIA scholarship to a deserving young lady named Mary Rodriguez for her
commitment to scholarship and service.
The
National Executive Board also presented awards to members of the organization
for their dedication to SIA during the 2006-2007 academic year. The recipients of the undergraduate
awards were: Highest GPA-Katherine
Alejo, Alpha Theta Chapter, St. John’s University; Unicorn Award-Amy Cruz,
Alpha Beta Chapter, Columbia University; Chapter of the Year-Alpha Chapter at
SUNY Albany. The recipients of the
graduate awards were: Pegasus
Award-Marisol Palau, St John’s University Alumna; Alumna of the Year-Sandra
Fuentes, Gamma Delta Graduate/Alumnae Chapter, Florida Region; Graduate Chapter
of the Year-Gamma Delta Graduate/Alumnae Chapter, Florida Region.
In
addition, chapter charters were awarded to colonies who have met the
organization’s criteria for chapter status. Congratulations to the Alpha Kappa Chapter at Michigan State
University and Alpha Lambda Chapter at the University of New Haven!
After recognitions,
performances and dining the evening came to a close with dancing and an
atmosphere of sisterhood was felt throughout. As Jessica Molina, President of the Alpha Iota Chapter
described during her speech to hermanas, “the beauty of dreams is that we each
have the power to make those dreams come true.” As such, the Hermanas of SIA continue to hold true the
vision of their founders’ - the dream of being one and inseparable while
manifesting their own personal dreams.
About Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. (SIA):
SIA was founded in New York on September 29, 1990 by thirteen Latina women with
the purpose of creating an organization that would help their communities,
unite women, promote the Latino culture and uphold a set of distinct goals. Our
dedication to scholarship, service and professional development within the
Latino community has grown beyond New York, with chapters in several states
including: New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Texas,
Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida.
We are more than a sorority; we are a family and network of professional,
strong and dedicated women leaders. We are also a 501(c)7 tax-exempt
organization and we work in conjunction with the Solidaridad Inspiracion
Amistad Community Foundation, Inc.- a 501(c)3 Community Foundation committed to
scholarship, service and professional development within Latino communities
nationally. Together, we administer a national scholarship fund for incoming
college freshmen who demonstrate academic merit, service to communities in need
and exemplary leadership capabilities. For more information, please visit www.hermandad-sia.org.
Contact: Wendy Toribio
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc.
marketing@hermandad-sia.org
www.hermandad-sia.org
New York, NY, September 30, 2007– On September 29, 2007,
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. (SIA) celebrated seventeen years of Solidaridad
