houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-01.jpg
houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-02.jpg
houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-03.jpg
houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-04.jpg
houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-05.jpg
houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-06.jpg
houston-alumnae-panhellenic-association-hapa-foundation-header-07.jpg

Ivonne Delgado

ivonnetoday

Joining a new sorority on campus can be exciting and nerve wracking, especially when you’re a freshman still learning about the university you’re attending. But what if that new sorority leads to becoming a future Alumnae Association President of that sorority or the local Panhellenic Association President? That’s what happed to Ivonne Delgado, current Alpha Xi Delta Houston Alumnae Association President, past Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Association (HAPA) President (2021-2022), current Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Foundation (HAPF) Treasurer, previous local chair for a past national philanthropy event, and past national volunteer.

Ivonne attended Florida International University (FIU) and joined a local sorority, Xi Delta, her freshman year of college but that soon changed her second semester. Alpha Xi Delta, a member of the National Panhellenic Council, extended to FIU, taking in the current members of Xi Delta as founding sisters of the chapter. Being a founding sister of an establishing sorority (previously named “colonizing” sorority) may look different from already established sororities on campus as Ivonne explains: “our pledge experience was unique since we were ‘taught’ everything about the sorority by a member of headquarters!”

Although being a unique experience, it doesn’t mean that the experience will not have the usual events a sorority typically has: sisterhood events, date nights, and even recruitment. However, your first recruitment may look a bit different: “We were pledging ourselves when we had participated in formal recruitment the following Fall to recruit our first official pledge class outside us founding sisters!” But, being a different experience can mean a chance to bond with sisters in different ways than others or can mean taking on leadership roles earlier in undergrad.

After graduating in 1997, Ivonne was not particularly active in the sorority world as it took moving to Houston and “as a newbie, [she] sought out [the] local alumnae association and the rest is history.” Included in that history is becoming the current Alpha Xi Delta Houston Alumnae Association President, the current HAPF Treasurer, following after serving as the 2021-2022 HAPA President. These positions come after years of being the AXiD Alumnae Association delegate for HAPA and a HAPF Trustee which gave her the knowledge and experience to serve as the HAPA Parliamentarian, which aids the association with running meetings and accordance with by-laws. She also took the time to be a national volunteer with Alpha Xi Delta which aids the national organization with alumnae associations around the country.

Ivonne has “found [her] closest friends in Houston within HAPA” which wouldn’t have been possible without saying yes to being a founding member of AXiD in college. Whether it’s being able to lead her alumnae association or aiding other alumnae associations, it can be traced back to that day in 1993 where it started. Remember, sororities are more than the four years in college but, as Ivonne states:

“Being in a sorority is for life. It’s not just an organization you participate in while in college it’s also where you may meet the ladies who will shape your future. A best friend, a bridesmaid, the godmother of your child, the one you grow old with… it is family.”

 

Written by Robyn Daiss, Publicity Chair (2023-2025) on January 8th, 2025 for use by the Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Association and their website.