ounded in 1881, the University of Connecticut has grown to include 13 Schools and Colleges at its main campus in Storrs. Uconn has 15,171 undergraduate students at the Storrs campus and offers eight undergraduate degrees in 103 majors, standing as the top public university in New England for the sixth consecutive year. In 2004, the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams were recognized as the NCAA champions.

Greek Life at UConn has been growing with over 40 social/service fraternities and sororities registered on campus. The staff in the Center for Student Involvement strives to enhance student development within these Greek organizations. Academic achievement, service and philanthropy, leadership, and brotherhood / sisterhood are four key pillars of Greek Life in which fraternities and sororities at the University of Connecticut are re-defining and reaffirming excellence.

University of Connecticut Charters: In Fall of 2004, UConn had no Asian-Interest Greek life, with the exception of student cultural organizations. Being that the Asian population was the highest at 8%, three women came together to offer something new to the community, the first Asian-Interest sorority. They made themselves known on campus as the Asian Women Awareness Organization, otherwise known as A.W.A.O. A.W.A.O strongly believed in what the sisters of the Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority presented - cultural diversity, sisterhood and community service - and officially decided to be an interest group. By doing so, A.W.A.O participated in various events, mainly supporting the WOW organization, Women’s Center and Asian American Cultural Center. After a semester of service to UConn, these women were offered the bid to start the Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.

After a semester’s worth of hard work and traveling to meet new sisters, the University of Connecticut Colony was established on April 10, 2004, by Sooyi Cho, Juliet Ham and Pingna Wu. In the past, many attempts to bring such an organization have been brought up, but the job was never completed. During the process, there were many doubts from staff and faculty at UConn, but Sooyi, Juliet and Pingna did the unthinkable and have opened up doors for sisterhood for women in the Asian community and those interested in the Asian culture. These sisters strive to bring diversity, service and sisterhood to the UConn campus. The University of Connecticut Colony started with three strong charters and hope to continue this legacy.

UConn Charters: Sooyi Cho, Juliet Ham and Pingna Wu

UConn Charters representing at a Philanthropy event.