Historic Milestones in New Member Education for OPBSI

Spring New Member Education Efforts Result in 5 New Collectives, 1 Reactivation, and the first Mother-Daughter Legacy!

New York, NY – May 2, 2016

* For Immediate Release *

Contact:

Gabriela Mata
Director of Marketing
Marketing@OmegaPhiBeta.org

More than 27 years after its founding, Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (OPBSI) is elated to have made herstory with our first Mother-Daughter legacy initiated this spring at the Beta Eta Chapter at the University of South Florida. On April 1, 2016 Destinie Diaz, daughter of Ana Verdejo (Alpha Chapter, fall 1993), followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a member of the very chapter her mother helped OPBSI expand to back in 2010.

OPBSI defines legacies as a direct family member of an initiated member (sister, daughter, or granddaughter). While the Sorority has seen its share of Sister-Sister legacies, sometimes even initiating twins, this is the first time in our twenty seven year herstory that we’ve initiated a member’s daughter.

“We attract women from all over the United States to walk in the footsteps of those who have come before them; but a Legacy is so much more than that! These women have grown up with OPBSI in their homes and in their families. They have insight to the beauty and struggles of the organization, the time commitment, and passion shown by their sister or mother. Legacies epitomize what it is to be a role model to the younger generation,” stated Kelly Rodriguez, Director of Herstory and Rituals.

In addition to this moment in our herstory, OPBSI is pleased to announce a record semester for Expansion and Reactivation efforts! With five (5) new collectives and one (1) reactivated chapter, OPBSI has seen a 10% growth in just one semester with the addition of universities from all over the country, in four of our seven regions, including:

• State University of New York at Oneonta in Upstate New York with 4 members
• Georgia State University in Atlanta with 13 members
• Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ with 7 members
• Illinois State University in Normal, IL with 7 members
• Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA with 3 members

OPBSI’s first Ivy League chapter, originally established in 1999, Nu Chapter at Cornell University and Ithaca College breathed new life with a reactivation effort co-led by National Officers and several alumnae volunteers including Nu Chapter chartering members.

“We are excited to celebrate and share our recent news as we have been preparing diligently with school administration throughout the country to ensure that OPBSI continues to provide a platform for women in higher education through our sisterhood,” stated Jessica Marie Saul, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “The recent success is only the starting point of where we are headed for the next few years and look forward to this being a testament of our commitment and growth.”

This record-breaking semester follows a flourishing year for expansion in 2015 during which four new entities and one reactivation effort prospered in Washington DC, Indiana, Florida, Virginia, and New York City. Increased interest in the organization, close partnerships with Universities, targeted recruitment practices, and the hard work of the Expansion Committee under the leadership of the National Headquarters team have attributed to the success of Expansion and Reactivation this season. Previously OPBSI had seen as many as six new entities over the course of an entire year (2007 and 2010).

Ariel Eure, Vice President of Expansion stated: “We are immensely proud of the work we’ve done to establish and reactivate Omega Phi Beta at universities across the country. Our national expansion committee feels confident in the ability of our passionate and powerful sisters to continue our organization’s efforts to build sisterhood, develop women’s leadership, and enact social change on their campus and in their communities. We seek to continue the incredible momentum that has allowed us to bring our organization to five new entities and two new states throughout the remainder of this year.”

Omega Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated is a Greek-lettered organization committed to spreading the Awareness of Violence Against Women. The mission of OPBSI is to serve and educate people of diverse backgrounds through sisterhood, leadership and guidance. As positive role models, we promote unity of all cultures, focus on the empowerment of our gender and raise the standards of excellence in our academic, social, and personal endeavors. OPBSI envisions a world without oppression, where empowered women celebrate the essence of womanhood and act as resources in the advancement of their communities. For more information visit: www.OmegaPhiBeta.org