One Leap Taken

IMPACT STORY: LEADING

Leanne Manlosa, Iota-University of Washington, is living a life full of firsts. She began her first business at age 10, making polymer clay charms and showing her process on a YouTube channel.

“Being an entrepreneur means, to me, someone who is able to take nothing and really bring value out of it. My parents are the first ones who taught me that. They’re immigrants from the Philippines—and they came here with nothing.”

As a first-generation college student, Leanne felt the pressure to be the perfect student, and initially, that did not include being the first person in her family to join a Greek-letter organization.

“We've all seen what sorority girls look like on Netflix and the image that is projected, but when Alpha Gamma Delta opened its door, I saw a diverse bunch of women that I felt like I could not only resonate and relate with but be able to better myself with. It was clear from the very beginning this was where I wanted to be.”

Leanne took on her first leadership role with Alpha Gam as Vice President–Merchandising. She also joined other campus groups—including one for women in business— utilizing leadership skills she learned from Alpha Gam.

The next year she served as Vice President–Finance for the chapter and then VP-Finance for her campus Panhellenic. Her quest for new leadership opportunities won’t end at graduation.

Not only are women not well-represented in leadership roles, being a woman of color in a C-suite role is rare. I am going to be an example to so many other little girls who haven't felt represented in these places. I'm going to be a face that inspires other women to lead.

There’s one organization she credits with helping her find her support system. “I'm so incredibly grateful to be an Alpha Gam. I feel like so much of what I was missing in my life was what Alpha Gam has given me in constant and consistent support.”

Now her sights are set on the future: Leanne Manlosa, CEO.

Thanks to you, more than $224,000 was invested in personal development and leadership programming, impactingmore than 11,500 of our collegiate sisters. Thank you for committing to a generation of strong women leaders.