Our Story
General information
Mascot: Phoenix
SYMBOLS
The blazon of the crest of the Sorority is as follows:
Be it known to all these present that the herein described coat of arms with crest has been designed and designated specifically for the honorable Kappa Phi Lambda of the United States of America in accordance with the finest traditions of heraldry. The arms of the said Kappa Phi Lambda are blazoned as follows, quarterly sanguine and argent, first, an orchid proper, second, a diamond sceptre proper, third, two candles argent alighted, fourth, a globe proper, all within a border agent and surmounted by a vallary crown bearing the Greek letters Kappa Phi Lambda, behind the shield, a phoenix wings displayed sable. The motto is Fraternite, Servitium, Varietas, which means “Sisterhood, Service, Cultural Diversity.”
Gem: Diamond
Flower: Orchid
Colors: Red, White, Heather Grey
MISSION STATEMENT
“We, the sisters of the Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, strive to strengthen Sisterhood amongst women by providing Service and promoting Cultural Diversity to our members and our community, thus securing the bond of kinship for posterity. Kappa Phi Lambda exists to further educate individuals about Pan-Asian culture, while keeping our own identities. We aim for academic excellence, keeping in mind the importance of education and learning as the key to strength, awareness, and fulfillment.”
Kappa Phi Lambda was founded on March 9, 1995 at Binghamton University by seven founding mothers. These inspirational women – Elizabeth Choi, Karen Eng, Rei Hirasawa, Hee Cho Moon, Chae Yoo, Samantha Somchanhmavong, and Connie Yang – united with a single vision of providing women with the chance to use their pride in heritage to become leaders of society. There was a need for an organization of this kind that would give inspiration and education to its community, and thus, Kappa Phi Lambda was born.
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The founding mothers envisioned themselves laying the cornerstones of what was to become a unique and revolutionary organization. They taught each other about strength and ambition while discovering their own true identities in the process. This sorority would unite young women of diverse heritages and encourage them to make use of their strong voices and thoughts. This sorority is open to women of all nationalities and backgrounds who want to learn about and actively represent Pan-Asian culture.
SORORITY HISTORY
The founding mothers not only channeled Asian American awareness through voice, but also through action. These first sisters of Kappa Phi Lambda extended their hands to the community through charitable actions. By contributing their time and funds, they were able to make a powerful impact on the world around them.
Since its founding, Kappa Phi Lambda has since become one of the fastest growing and strongest Asian American interest sororities in the nation. Today, well over a decade after the founding mothers established Kappa Phi Lambda, the sorority has grown to a total of 28 locations. All sisters nationwide abide by the mission set forth by our founding mothers, but each school is also unique in its own right. This is symbolic of the women we seek: unique, intelligent leaders who want to make a difference. Several years ago, seven beautiful women lit the fire that is Kappa Phi Lambda and watched it grow. As our sisterhood expands, that fire now burns brightly within every individual sister, carrying with it the vision that our founding mothers conceived.
CHAPTER HISTORY
The best things in life come to those who wait. It took two years to provide a home for 14 strong-willed passionate girls who wanted to bring a change to their community, two years to establish a sisterhood that fosters cultural diversity, service, and excellence--two years to bring Kappa Phi Lambda to the University of Nevada, Reno. During this period of time, Janeen Ibarreta *Revelation* and 14 women came together to establish Kharisma with the intent to create a lasting impact on campus. With the desire to expand and diversify Greek life, these ladies wanted to set the standard of what it meant to truly make a difference in the community.
They hope to educate others into knowing that culture is more than just an ethnicity; it is the unifying factor that makes everyone unique. A sense of belonging is defined not by the color of one's skin, but the strength of one's heart. With the heart of compassion, they wish to give back to the community that supported them by hosting philanthropy and service events that ultimately serve to better themselves and the community. Their dedication and hard work brought these girls to be unified under the same goals and passions, thus fostering an unbreakable sisterhood where 14 girls stood for 1 purpose.
With this unified vision and under the guidance of Moral Masuoka *Silvermist* and Emily Shan *Riptide*, Farrah Saad, Anne Dela Cruz, Rose Gaban, Fionna Tay, Aneesala Wongkovit, Jenny Ying Kot, Tricia Cachila, Jillian Ebrahimi, Kylie Tokunaga, Maliat Chowdhury, Olivia Ho, Vivian On, Gabriella Murata and Roselle Caballes founded Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority Incorporated at the University of Nevada, Reno on May 2, 2015.