Chapter Executive Board President Amy-Jane Aristy Vice President Sherlene Ayala Treasurer Sherlene Ayala Secretary Amy-Jane Aristy Community Service Amy-Jane Aristy Rush Sherlene Ayala Historic Chapter Events October 20, 2001 - Colony Established November 4, 2001 - First Community Service November 17, 2001 - First Party with the assistance of OPBSI Alpha Chapter March 1, 2002 - First Colony Fundraiser held on campus March 9, 2002 - Hosted First co-sponsored event with other Greek Organizations on Campus May 19, 2002 - First AIDS Walk raised $183.00 September 21-27, 2002 - First Week Of Illumination recognized on campus as OPBSI Novemeber 16, 2002 - First informational recognized on campus as OPBSI March 8, 2003 - Sherlene Ayala receives Sorority Image of the Year Award by National Board of Directors March 8, 2003 - Colony gained chapter status May 3, 2003 - Sigma Chapter Alpha Line crosses June 7, 2003 - Sherlene Ayala received the Sister of the Year award for 2002-2003 December 15-23, 2003 - 1st Annual X-Mas Holiday, "5 days of Community Service" December 13-22, 2004 - 2nd Annual Christmas Community Service Bonanza held at Fox House Women's Shelter in NYC February 10, 2005 - Chapter receives COLONY STATUS at Plattsburgh State University May 2006- Sigma Chapter receives most prestigious college award the Presidents Cup May 2006- Taina lopez inducted into Order of Omega May 2006- Sherlene Ayala and Taina Lopez inducted into Sigma Gamma Alpha May 2006- Sigma Chapter gains Full Recognition at SUNY Plattsburgh January 2008 - Awarded Chapter of the Month by the NCOO

Sigma Chapter

Est. 2003

Chapter History

It all began in the Fall of 1998 when Natalie Bonaparte arrived to SUNY Plattsburgh from The Bronx, and she realized her journey at the university was going to be quite interesting yet rough due to the lack of diversity on campus. At the time, the minority population was about 2%. After being active on campus for a year within clubs and organizations, she started to look into the Greek life she always wondered about while in high school. Unsatisfied with what the Greeks on campus had to offer her and her culture, she searched the Internet and found a Greek website that could offer her information about Greek organizations which were rich in ethnic diversity. In the meantime, Sherlene Ayala and Natalie's younger sister, Carolina Bonaparte, arrived to SUNY Plattsburgh in 1999, and feeling the same way toward Greek life at Plattsburgh, they began to do intense research as well. "I did not transfer out of SUNY Plattsburgh, because that's what everyone did after staying here for a semester. I stayed because I wanted to make a change that would benefit the campus in many ways. I knew we we're doing something big and powerful. It just took some time." said Ayala.

After years of road tripping to bigger universities such as SUNY New Paltz and Binghamton University, the women got to see what some of the Latino Greek organization had to offer. Individually, they decided that Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was the organization that they could relate to the most being women of color. Their dreams to become sisters and change the SUNY Plattsburgh campus came alive in the Fall of 2001 when the three women went through the OPBSI process and then crossed to become the chartering line at SUNY Plattsburgh with the help of Guarinelly "Nelly" Hernandez #2 Imani, Spring 1993, New Paltz, Beta Chapter. The three women were then granted the Greek letter Sigma to name their chapter.

They were the first Latina oriented Greek Lettered organization to step foot on the Plattsburgh campus, better yet, the Adirondack Mountains. For the first three years, their recognition process was difficult. Many people did not understand the Latino Greek system, and did not give Sigma chapter a chance. Now years later, Sigma chapter is one of the hardest working Greek organizations on their campus. They continue to hold 2 educational programs each month, 4 community services each month, an annual "Week of Illumination," fundraisers, co-sponsor projects with other organizations, and continue to educate the campus diversity issues.

Although the chapter is still young, they are well known and respected on their campus and by their national sisterhood membership. The women that come from Sigma chapter come from all walks of life, but they posses one quality, and that is Perseverance. They have embraced the obligation of representing a different culture of Greek organizations.

Chapter Cause: Youth Enlightenment
After working at local youth centers such as the YMCA and Oak Street Study Buddy after school program, the women at SUNY Plattsburgh witnessed the lack of college role models and sources in children's lives. Natalie Bonaparte chose "Youth Enlightenment" for the chapter philanthropy and the chapter agreed after their individual contribution to children in the area. Their is a lack of after school community programs especially for teenagers, leaving teenagers to possibly get involved in the wrong activities. Through Youth Enlightenment the women at Sigma Chapter hope to give children more opportunities in the community.