Beta Chapter History

The branching out of Gamma Phi Omega began with the Beta chapter at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In the spring of 1992, the idea of starting a Latina-oriented sorority at UIC began with Sonia Navarrete and Haydee Matias after realizing that the already established sororities did not coincide with their goals and expectations.

In the fall of 1992 Sonia Navarrete and Haydee Matias realized that they would also need to search for women that shared their common interest of forming a Latina-oriented sorority at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. That same semester, Sylvia Trevino and Maria Castellanos joined in the search of the ideal sorority. Around that same time Sonia and Haydee came across Gamma Phi Omega at Indiana University. 

On October 23, 1992 the first official meeting with Gamma Phi Omega took place.  The four women came back to UIC with the aspirations of expanding Gamma Phi Omega and bringing it to UIC.  In November 1992, the four women received a letter from Indiana University stating that Gamma Phi Omega was delighted to expand.  The four women then invested their hard work and dedication to the expansion of Gamma Phi Omega. 

On March 24, 1993 the four women received the acceptance letter from UIC congratulating them with their new beginning of the first Latina-oriented sorority at UIC. On April 24, 1993, Sonia Navarrete, Haydee Matias, Sylvia Trevino and Maria Castellanos became the founding mothers of Gamma Phi Omega, Beta Chapter at the University of Illinois at Chicago.