Dear Reader,

 

My name is Diego Vasquez-Cisneros, and I am a first-generation, third-year student studying Political Science and Communications here at UC Santa Barbara. I currently have the honor and privilege of serving as President of the United Sorority & Fraternity Council (USFC) here on our beautiful campus. 

 

If you would have told me my senior year of high school that I was essentially one of the biggest representatives for a GREEK council, I wouldn’t even believe you. I never in a million years thought I’d be in the position that I am today. I am from the Central Valley here in California, from a city called Visalia. I lived in an area where I saw people who looked like me all around and where we shared similar experiences, cultural identities, and challenges. Coming to UCSB, I was honestly nervous about where I would fit in. Discovering multicultural Greek

life was definitely a game changer for my college experience. I was still a little skeptical at first, but I quickly realized that the people within this community offered me a space where I could not only survive my years at a four-year university, but truly thrive and grow.

 

I was a highly involved student in high school, and since joining multicultural Greek life, I knew I wanted to be highly involved in both chapter and council leadership. Throughout my Greek life experience, I have taken on roles in recruitment, social programming, public relations, and executive leadership. Each position has taught me skills in conflict resolution, event organizing, networking, communication, and community engagement that I now carry with me into my education, career goals, and everyday life. More importantly, these experiences showed me how much of an impact student leaders can have on the communities around them. I at first wanted a smaller role on the council’s executive board, but after time I knew this was a community worth investing in more deeply, and ultimately I decided to run for USFC President. I wanted the opportunity to give back to a community that has given me so much while helping it become even better for the many new members who will find their way to USFC.

 

Our council is home to culturally based sororities and fraternities with values rooted in Asian, Latino/a, Armenian, and multicultural communities. While our organizations each carry their own unique histories, traditions, philanthropies, and values, together we share a commitment to cultural awareness, community engagement, leadership, and creating spaces of belonging. You do not have to come from a particular cultural background to explore our organizations. Our

organizations are inclusive, and we truly encourage anyone interested in our community to learn about each organization, its history, and what it stands for. With smaller chapter sizes that often feel more tight-knit, when you join a USFC fraternity or sorority, you don’t just join a chapter. You actually join our USFC family as a whole. I’ve made so many of my best friends within this community, even outside my own chapter, and I am incredibly grateful for the relationships I

have built here.

 

As President, two of my biggest goals are strengthening the relationships within our council and increasing USFC's presence across the UCSB community. I want our organizations to feel connected not only by the council we share, but through genuine collaboration and support for

one another. At the same time, I want more students on our campus to know who we are, what we represent, and the opportunities our organizations can provide. There are so many misconceptions about Greek life in general, and there are people like me who come to UCSB not even knowing multicultural Greek organizations exist. There is so much culture, leadership, service, and community within USFC, and I want to make sure these stories are being seen and celebrated. 

 

Being a member of USFC is about making a difference and changing things to be better than they were yesterday. If you are discovering USFC for the first time, I encourage you to explore this website, learn about each of our organizations, come out to our events, and get to know our community for yourself by asking questions and keeping an open mind. Don’t feel pressured to immediately know where you belong, because finding the right community takes time. Whether you find that within USFC, CPC, IFC, NPHC, or somewhere completely outside of Greek life, the people you surround yourself with can make all the difference in your experience. 

 

For me, that place became multicultural Greek life. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to serve this community, and my hope is to leave our council a little stronger, a little closer, and a little more visible than I found it, while making sure that the next student searching for their place at UCSB knows that our door is open. I hope you find your community here at UCSB, and I am genuinely excited to possibly meet the leaders and faces of our council’s future.

 

In community,

Diego Vasquez-Cisneros

President, United Sorority & Fraternity Council