Veronica Burgos would be the one who would be by my side, working our asses off to get a new organization up and running on the UCSB campus. In April of 1999 Vero and I held the official first meeting of Hermanas Unidas (HaU) at UC Santa Barbara.This year HaU celebrates it's 10th anniversary. When I first got the email I could NOT believe that it had been 10 years since the days of writing constitutions and recruiting members.
The banquet room was filled with over 130 Hermanas from some of us OG members to current members and many alumni in between. The night was filled with funny slide shows and as soon as I saw pictures from my HaU days tears came to my eyes. Those were some great times.
Vero and I were presented flowers and asked to speak. Girls stood in line to thank us and take a picture with us. As I stood next to Vero at the podium staring at the sea of women it was a surreal moment. We looked at each other in disbelief. That little organization we started 10 years ago has become one of the biggest and best organizations on campus. Watching these girls get through the UC system and graduate with help from their hermanas. Watching the bonds that have formed over the past 10 years is so beautiful. To know that Vero and I had a hand in all of it is one of my most proudest accomplishments.
There are really no words to express the love and the pride I felt in that room that night, or how thankful I am to those original members who believed and embraced the vision that Vero and I had for HaU. How thankful I am to each and every member over the past 10 years who just make HaU bigger and better and more than we ever imagined it could be.
Vero, you will always be such a big part of who I am. You were my first Hermana and I love you.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Congratulations on this great accomplishment and your vision. I had to laugh, when you called yourself OG!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I am so proud of you Liz and all the other girls. You amaze me with everything you do.
ReplyDeleteLove you Tia Mary
Elissa, to think that it has been 10 years that we were introduced to one another and all due to Hermanas. I could not have described what you did in this post any better. I love you Hermana!
ReplyDelete