Colorado State University–Pueblo Greek organization earns national awards

PUEBLO – Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Alpha Zeta Chapter Alpha Psi Lambda was among those recognized at Alpha Psi Lambda Fraternity's National House of Delegates held in Houston, Texas last month. Alpha Zeta Chapter Alpha Psi Lambda won Chapter of the Year and Fredlina Atencio, associate member educator, earned an award for Outstanding Campus Leadership.

CSU-Pueblo became the first Alpha Psi Lambda National fraternity accepted by the El Cuartelejo colony of Alpha Psi Lambda in both Colorado and in the Southwest on November 15, 2015. Alpha Psi Lambda is a co-educational, and Latino-oriented extramural fraternity with 31 chapters and four colonies. Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. announced that as of June 24, 2017, the CSU-Pueblo fraternity had been named an official chapter.

Atencio assumed the one-year associate member position with the chapter along with her busy class load her senior year. Atencio graduated in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Integrated Communications and a minor in Chicano Studies. Atencio was nominated by her fellow chapter members for the Outstanding Campus Leadership award because demonstrated honesty, commitment, integrity, passion, innovations, and many other leadership skills. She also was the recipient of the Diane Blackwell President’s Leadership Award this spring.

“For me it a self confidence builder,” Atencio said. “I came from a really bad neighborhood in Denver. This position was a positive way to overcome that, and it allowed me to be a leader and prove that with will and determination you can get out of that lifestyle and change it.”

Dr. Jennifer Alanis, director of Diversity & Inclusion, nominated the Alpha Psi Lambda for the Chapter of the Year Award, after the chapter exceeded adherence to the Eight Purposes of Alpha Psi Lambda throughout the 2016-2017 school year. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the  chapter hosted several membership events, including La Fiesta: Creating a Legacy of Extreme Nobility in November, 2016 and La Fiesta: Seeking The Immortal Light in April, 2017.

The Eight Purposes of the organization are to serve the university campus and community; to bring forth on a scholastic level, Hispanics/Latinos and others at the university on the basis of friendship; to provide a supplementary educational, social, and cultural experience for the mutual cultivation of its members, as well as enhance the educational experience through social and cultural activities; and to assist in the development of members' leadership abilities; to advocate for the needs and concerns of the Hispanic/Latino students; to promote a basis for the diversity of the Hispanic/Latino cultures; and to promote inter-Fraternity relations and foster positive relations between the Greek system, University/College administration, and the outside community.

Colorado State University - Pueblo is committed to excellence, setting the standard for regional comprehensive universities in teaching, research, and service by providing leadership and access for its region, while maintaining its commitment to diversity.

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