My name is Darlene Mate’ and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my Sisters for letting me serve as this year’s National Board President. I am extremely excited and thankful for this honor as well as for the upcoming year!

For those of you who do not know who alpha Kappa Delta Phi is, we are the largest and strongest Asian - American Interest Sorority, with 43 Chapters STRONG across the nation. Our sisters strive and work hard to uphold what our letters stand for every single day.

Service is one of the aspects that aKDPhi’s live for. Our National Philanthropy is Breast Cancer Awareness. Every October we participate in raising money for this cause with Susan G. Komen, by either participating in Race for the Cure or other various service events to raise money for breast cancer. We also take part in Violence Awareness, in honor of our fallen Sister, Valerie Zavalla, in hopes that other women will not fall victim to other brutal and hateful crimes. All of our chapters take pride in other social and charitable issues at their respective universities and surrounding communities.

Sisterhood to all our sisters is something that we take seriously. Throughout our four awesome regions, we have various events and conferences that range from education on life as an active to learning what each Chapter does at their respective college or university. Some major events (just to name a few) that are held annually are: CCC, Southeast Sisterhood Rally, Northeast Sisterhood Rally, Midwest Sisterhood Rally, Southwest Sisterhood and of course National Convention.

Education is our top priority. Along with maintaining and balancing what it takes to be an active sister in alpha Kappa Delta Phi, we always put an emphasis on our grades and other scholarly activities. We have Sisters all over the world with many different professions and our National Alumnae Association is one way to keep in touch with all of them.

Last year was a successful year. We accomplished most of our goals. As always, National Board’s main goal is to always focus on the actives and each of their universities as well as the continual strengthening of our Alumnae Association. National Board had their goals for the 2007-2008 school year set at our annual Back to School Retreat in Boston and we have already started on them for this year. My goals this year are aimed towards aKDPhi Active awareness and education on what the latest issues are in the world today for Greeks and the recent trends of our generation and as well as preserving our Asian Heritage and our original founding sisters ideals. My motto for this year is “Changing with times, but keeping what we have always known in our hearts.”

We have a busy year ahead of us, but as soon as everyone realizes it, Convention 2008 will be here along with a new board! It’s been a long journey for me as an aKDPhi Sister, but without my Sisters and this organization I do not know if I would be the woman I am today. But I hope, with myself, along with the help from our strong and lovely ladies of National Board, we can show how much aKDPhi means to us as well as give back to all of our Sisters our meaning of love, friendship, and sisterhood.

Darlene Mate'

Love and Friendship,

National Board President 2007-2008
University of Houston Alumna