Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc. began with Veronica Montemayor who, in the fall of 1989, first thought of the idea for a local Latina oriented sorority. After considering Indiana University's traditional Greek system, Veronica felt that the Greek community did not offer enough for Latina women. She didn't feel comfortable with the established system. She decided that it was time to create a new option, one that celebrated the diversity of the Latino culture.

That semester, Monica Guzman and Cristina Rodela joined Veronica. Together, the three women began a nationwide search to find a Latina-oriented sorority that wanted to expand to Indiana University. They were looking for a sorority that strived for the goals and objectives they felt were important for a Latina-oriented organization: academic excellence, cultural awareness, community service, and sisterhood. The search was not easy, and they spent the remainder of that academic year following up their beginning inquiries with further attempts at communication.

The first responses to the women's inquiries were not encouraging, but they kept trying. In the fall of the following academic year, Margaret Escabalzeta, Laura Garcia, and Barbara Graves joined the three women. After continued research, they were faced with obstacles. Some of the sororities did not fulfill IU's national status requirement for Greek organizations and, most disappointing, few sororities were willing to share information.

At that point, Veronica's idea had become a dream and the group refused to let it die. When, after extensive efforts, the core group still had not found what they wanted, the six women chose the only option that remained. They decided to start a new sorority. The women assured Indiana University's administrators that a Latina oriented sorority would not only survive on the Bloomington campus, it would also enhance the already existing Greek community. Convinced, the women were granted permission to work on an Alpha chapter. On April 17, 1991, the women --Veronica, Monica, Cristina, Margaret, Laura, and Barbara -- founded Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc.

Veronica Montemayor graduated that spring of 1991. She was unable to accompany her new sisters to present their final proposal for Gamma Phi Omega to the university's Expansion Committee. Nevertheless, her dream became a reality when, on January 22, 1992, the core group received an acceptance letter recognizing Gamma Phi Omega as an official sorority on the Indiana University campus.

Since that time, Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc. has continued to expand. Our steady growth is the result of careful planning and endless determination. Our goal is not to grow quickly, but to grow strong as we provide consistent support to our members. As we do expand, we are inspired by the perseverance of our founders and the goals that we continue to uphold for Gamma Phi Omega.