Gamma Alpha Omega
ΓΑΩ
The crest of Gamma Alpha Omega sorority.jpg
FoundedJanuary 25, 1993; 30 years ago (January 25, 1993)
Arizona State University
TypeService
AffiliationNALFO (former)
ScopeNational
MottoNos Una Crescemus
(United We Will Grow)
Colors  Forest Green,
     Navy Blue,
        White
SymbolWhite Bengal tiger with blue eyes
FlowerWhite thornless rose
JewelWhite diamond, blue sapphire and green emerald
PublicationThe ROSE Vine
PhilanthropyEducation (mentoring youth)
Chapters28 collegiate
   13 alumnae chapters
Members1500 lifetime
NicknameGammas
FruitClassic red Apple
HeadquartersP.O. Box 1916
Tempe, AZ 85280
USA
Websitewww.gammaalphaomega.org

Gamma Alpha Omega (ΓΑΩ) is a Latina-founded Greek letter intercollegiate sorority, established in 1993 on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The sorority has 28 collegiate chapters and 13 alumnae chapters.

History

Gamma Alpha Omega was founded on January 25, 1993 by eight Latina women.[1][2][3]

Founders

  • Amy Alvarez
  • Michelle Seañez
  • Patsy Guardado
  • Clara Lopez
  • Sandra Saenz
  • Valerie Mendoza
  • Roxana Quinones
  • Annette Escalante[4]

From the beginning the organization was "dedicated to promoting the achievement and quest of higher education amongst all women", thus while established by Latinas it was open from the start to women of all backgrounds. Its mission is noted with four goals:

Milestones

In 1997, Gamma Alpha Omega expanded beyond Arizona with the founding of Gamma chapter at the University of Washington on January 24 of that year.

In 2000, the sorority became a founding member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) when it emerged as a national association of Latino fraternal groups.

April 2001, marked a milestone for Gamma Alpha Omega, when the organization was officially recognized as an incorporated entity in the state of Arizona.[6]

In 2012, Gamma Alpha Omega chartered the first double letter chapter for the Sorority at the University of New Mexico.

In 2016, Gamma Alpha Omega withdrew from NALFO alongside several other founding fraternity and sorority members of the council. This was due to a variety of reasons.

Symbols and traditions

ΓΑΩ's official logo, the White Rose within a Blue Diamond.
ΓΑΩ's official logo, the White Rose within a Blue Diamond.

At its founding the sorority chose the colors Forest Green, Navy Blue and White as identifiers, along with a mascot of a "White Bengal Tiger with Blue Eyes". Further symbolism has been added over the years, including a flower, the "White Thornless Rose", and three jewels, the Green Emerald, Blue Sapphire and White Diamond. The official colors were refined with adoption of the sorority's branding guide.[5][7]

The sorority notes five "pillars", important to its culture: honesty, integrity, leadership, scholarship and unity.[5]

The sorority recognizes high-functioning chapters as "Diamond Standard" chapters.[8]

The sorority publishes a digital magazine twice annually called The ROSE Vine.

Governance

Governance of the sorority is vested in a National Executive Board which manages the affairs of the organization on a day-to-day basis. The sorority meets in a national convention every two years during odd-numbered years. Regional conferences are held in the off-years between national conventions.[8]

National leadership

As of July 1, 2021, national officers include:[9]

In addition, the National Administration also contains regional and national directors that assist with the different regions, areas, and departments with the National Office & Headquarters of Gamma Alpha Omega.

Chapters

Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics. Chapter information from the national website or the referenced Baird's Manual online archive.

Chapter name College / University State Installed Date and Range Status Reference
Alpha Arizona State University Arizona January 25, 1993 Active [10][11]
Beta University of Arizona Arizona 1993 Active [10][11]
Gamma University of Washington Washington January 24, 1997 Active [10][11]
Delta Washington State University Washington 1998 Active [10][11]
Epsilon University of Wisconsin–Parkside Wisconsin 1998 Inactive [10][11]
Zeta Reserved Mexico 1998–200x Inactive [10]
Eta University of Idaho Idaho 1999 Active [10][11]
Theta University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh Wisconsin 1999 Inactive [10][11]
Iota Texas Tech University Texas 1999 Active [10][11]
Kappa Oregon State University Oregon 2000 Active [10][11]
Lambda University of Houston Texas 2000 Active [10][11]
Mu University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Wisconsin 2001 Active [10][11]
Nu Baylor University Texas 2001 Active [10][11]
Xi University of Houston–Downtown Texas 2001 Active [10][11]
Omicron Northern Arizona University Arizona 2002 Active [10][11]
Pi Humboldt State University California 2002 Active [10][11]
Rho California State University, Northridge California 2003 Inactive [10][11]
Sigma University of the Pacific California 2003 Active [10][11]
Tau University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign Illinois 2008 ? Inactive [10][11]
Upsilon University of Oregon Oregon 2009 Active [10][11]
Phi University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Wisconsin 2010 Inactive [10][11]
Chi University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin 2011 Active [10][11]
Psi Eastern Washington University Washington 2011 Active [10][11]
Omega Reserved for deceased sisters [11]
Alpha Alpha University of New Mexico New Mexico 2012 Inactive [10][11]
Alpha Beta California State University, Fresno California 2016 ? Active [10][11]
Alpha Gamma New Mexico Highlands University New Mexico 2017 ? Inactive [10][11]
Alpha Delta Heritage University Washington 2018 Active [10][11]
Alpha Epsilon Texas A&M University Texas 2019 Active [10][11]
Alpha Zeta Carroll University Wisconsin 2020 Active [11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Greek Spot Light: Gamma Alpha Omega". sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  2. ^ "Gamma Alpha Omega – Confidence. Courage. Commitment. Character". Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  3. ^ "Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority Inc. | National Herstory". www.uwosh.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  4. ^ "National". Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  5. ^ a b c From the national website's Quick Facts page, accessed 4 Jul 2021.
  6. ^ "WSU | GAO". wsugreek.orgsync.com. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  7. ^ From the national website's Resources page, accessed 4 Jul 2021.
  8. ^ a b From the national website's Programming page, accessed 4 Jul 2021.
  9. ^ From the national website's Leadership page, accessed 4 Jul 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Noted in the Baird's Manual Online Archive, accessed 4 Jul 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Noted on ΓΑΩ's Official website, list of chapters, accessed 4 Jul 2021.
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