NSU Horizons Fall 2010

Student Profile Lorena Cabrera didn’t plan to join a sorority when she came to NSU. But when the Miami native found one that was a good fit, she not only joined it, she became president and led the chapter from the brink of extinction into one of the most respected student organizations on campus. She did all that while raising awareness and funds to prevent suicide. NSU’s chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., was launched in 2001, but it struggled to find a foothold and became defunct on three different occasions. When, as a sophomore, Cabrera heard about the sorority, it had one member and was again coming off a defunct status. But the organization’s emphasis on education and empowerment of women led Cabrera to pledge. Looking for a way to raise Lambda Theta Alpha’s profile and prevent it from future lapses, Cabrera and her sorority sisters searched for causes and events that could have an impact on campus and in the community. They found their cause in suicide prevention. “Suicide hits close to home for a lot of people, but it’s something that’s not talked about much,” said Cabrera, a psychology major. “When we all started discussing it, we found that we all knew someone who tried to commit suicide or did commit suicide.” The women discovered the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the organization’s major fund-raiser, Out of the Darkness Community Walks. The walks had been held annually in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, but none in Broward. The sisters of Lambda Theta Alpha set out to change that. Cabrera, who became president of the sorority in the spring of 2009, and her sisters worked with AFSP and NSU to hold a walk on NSU’s main campus last year. Although the sorority was small, the sisters rallied support from other NSU organiza- tions and departments, local businesses, and the community. The sisters’ efforts led to a walk that exceeded their expecta- tions, with 522 participants and more than $22,000 raised for AFSP. More important than the funds raised was the awareness of suicide prevention. One of Cabrera’s sorority sisters, Juliana Ospina, became a driving force behind the walk, motivated by the loss of a childhood friend to suicide. The walk gave her a way to cope with the tragedy while helping others. “I kept it to myself and didn’t really tell anyone until the walk. For some reason, I finally had the guts to tell my story and express to people how important it is to increase awareness,” said Ospina. “The walk eased my heart because it allowed me to release the burden that I had for so many years.” Cabrera also felt the walk’s impact when a stranger, with tears in her eyes, hugged Cabrera and thanked her for organizing the walk. “I felt triumphant in that moment,” Cabrera said. “We were doing more than raising money, we were helping people.” The walk also met Lambda Theta Alpha’s goal of becoming established on campus. Although it is still small, Lambda Theta Alpha is mighty. The sorority was recognized with several year-end awards last spring, including Undergraduate Organiza- tion of the Year at the Student Life Achievement Awards (known as the STUEYS), Service Cup Award, Service Project of the Year, and Event of the Year at the Student Leadership Awards Banquet. Cabrera also received the Student Volunteer Award from the AFSP. “These young ladies exemplify courage and leadership beyond their years,” said Michelle Manley, who serves as the adviser to Lambda Theta Alpha and is NSU’s assistant director of student media. Lambda Theta Alpha has made AFSP the chapter’s philanthropy, and Cabrera, Ospina, and their sisters are working on another Out of the Darkness Community Walk for Novem- ber with plans to make it an annual event. Cabrera and Ospina are both seniors this year, but Lambda Theta Alpha and NSU will benefit from their impact well beyond graduation. For more information on NSU’s Office of Suicide Prevention visit, www.nova.edu/suicideprevention/aboutus.html . For more information on the suicide walk, visit www.outofthedarkness.org . For information on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, visit www.afsp.org . n 30 horizons Building a Sorority, Raising Hope By Alan Hancock Juliana Ospina (left) with Lorena Cabrera during the Out of the Darkness Community Walk.