Success Stories Hermano Ryzard H. Villa To the many curious people out in this world whom are interested in Latino Greek life. I have a story to tell that may relate to some or may be an inspiration for others to join or at least hear what has to be said about the way Latino America Unida sees Latinos in this lifetime, heading towards the new millennium. Hermano Antonio Guerra It was September 1st, 1997 when I took a bus away from home heading to a strange place I had never visited before in my entire life, Rochester, NY. It was not an easy task getting used to the college atmosphere being 8 hours away from home. Growing up partly in Inwood-Washington Heights and later in the Bronx, had made my life easier, because I had always been surrounded by "My People". When I arrived to college, My People were not as bountiful and common anymore. Financial difficulties worsen my situation, because I had come from a poor-to-middle class family and the Rochester Institute of Technology being one of the most sophisticated technical schools in the country, provided for plenty of intellectual reward, though at a very steep financial cost, with tuition prices at the time at over $24,000 a year. With time, I met a group of men that called themselves Latino America Unida, Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity, Inc., a “Frat”, I immediately and strongly stereotyped them. However, this one was a tad different from the ones I had seen in the movies or the ones I had seen through my short experiences in college. This one was about brotherhood; this one was about true brotherhood. Why? Because even though I was an outsider to them, the brothers of Lambda Alpha Upsilon showed me:
-Love and affection as a brother As alum, Lambda Alpha Upsilon continues to live within me by providing a constant network of professionals I can use to make contacts for potential jobs, individual development and professional opportunities. My current job of over six years was obtained through the interaction with a fraternity brother, whom happened to be in a position to assist me with an opportunity that matched his needed skill set. As I have ventured further into my life, fraternity brothers continue to be my best friends. As a matter of fact, as I reminisced and caught up with another brother, we came to the realization that almost all our activities involved at least one fraternity brother. There is no way I could have imagined that this network of professionals would also turn into my long-lasting family. All of this would not have otherwise existed without the fraternity. That is what Lambda Alpha Upsilon has done for me, and will continue to do for as long as I live. Hermano Anthony Munoz I entered the State University of New York at Old Westbury in the Fall of 1996 a raw freshmen with no sense of what a fraternity was at all, only that of the stereotype perceived on television and movies. Throughout my freshmen year I had no interest and intention of joining a fraternity whether it was Latino, multi-cultural, or black. In my Sophomore year, I gained interest in fraternal life through the many activities and programs held on my campus. I then began my research into organizations I might want to pledge, and I made my decision to pledge Latino America Unida, Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity Inc., based on their goals and purposes found in their METAS; 1. To Unite the Latino Community In the fall of '98, I pledged and became a brother of Lambda Alpha Upsilon, and nothing can express the feeling of becoming a member of this organization. It was as if being born again. An accomplishment of the utmost greatest after the vigorous process that I went through. This compounded with being a founding Hermano of the Eta Colony pushed me to complete the most challenging task of my life. While on line, I thought that this is the hardest part of being in a Latino America Unida continues to fight for the Latino community till the day we are heard. Only then will we accomplish our goals set out in our METAS, but until that time we must fight because "VENCEREMOS PORQUE NACIMOS PARA TRIUNFAR!" Hermano Jesús Ruiz I chose to join Lambda Alpha Upsilon because I share the same goals and aspirations as the fraternity. I enjoy the opportunity to play a positive role in the development of our community by recruiting, training and enabling young men to realize their leadership potential. Additionally, I chose to become a member because I felt very comfortable with the Hermanos that recruited me. More importantly, I wanted to share in the sense of family they enjoyed, being so far away from home and my culture at college. The Hermanos made me feel welcome, which made my college experience very favorable. Before joining Lambda Alpha Upsilon, I was not adept at public speaking and I didn't possess many organizational skills. Through my participation in the fraternity on the undergraduate and alumni levels, I have experienced significant improvement in these areas and many more. I have been involved in the planning and execution of events, conducted recruitment presentations, ran effective business meetings, and managed project groups to carry out the objectives of the fraternity. These skills have proved useful in my professional endeavors, as I have been entrusted with managerial positions within reputable companies. Currently, my position as product specialist for Canon Latin America, Inc. requires me to travel to Latin America and conduct product training and presentations to an audience consisting of sales and technical professionals in both English and Spanish. I feel that I am able to excel in my job responsibilities as a result of my participation in the fraternity. I encourage those who are also interested in excelling to pursue membership in Lambda Alpha Upsilon, a brotherhood of excellence. |