Friendship, leadership & service: Inside Fraternity & Sorority Life at SUNY New Paltz

March 13, 2025 Mallika Rao

*Fraternities & sororities got together on Jan. 23, 2025 to celebrate their legacies and recruit new peers*

For more than a century, Fraternity & Sorority Life at SUNY New Paltz has given hundreds of students a second family on campus through multigenerational brotherhoods and sisterhoods.

“It’s fun to get out there and meet a community that speaks to you,” added Natalie D’Agostino ’26 (Psychology), a member of the Alpha Kappa Phi Agonian Sorority.

Alpha Kappa Phi is New Paltz’s oldest Fraternity & Sorority Life organization, as it celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Since then, 18 more organizations have brought students leadership skills, a sense of belonging, a commitment to academics and a dedication to community service.

Recently, Fraternity & Sorority Life organizations convened in January to share with peers what they represent, and how to get involved. This was just one of several events held throughout the year aimed at recruiting new pledges.

“Fraternity & Sorority Life is an inclusive environment that nurtures student leaders,” said Jackie Koenig, coordinator for Fraternity & Sorority Life at New Paltz. “Students here immerse themselves in all aspects of the New Paltz community and are not hesitant to get involved.”

*Kappa Alpha Psi was one of many student groups who volunteered in the local community during last year’s annual Make a Difference Day tradition*.

Over the years, brothers & sisters have participated in campus initiatives to serve local communities like Make a Difference Day, and through leading a variety of volunteer projects for their own organizations, including clothing drives and Breast Cancer Awareness Walks.

“It’s a great way to bond with fellow students while at the same time pursuing a commitment to community service and volunteering,” said Kyra Perles ’26 (English), a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed national service fraternity.

Fraternity & Sorority Life organizations at New Paltz value their diversity, giving brothers & sisters from all backgrounds a chance to connect with alumni who have had similar lived experiences.

“This is a brotherhood,” said Willie Veras ’24 (International Business; Marketing), a recent alumnus who joined Lambda Sigma Upsilon, a Latino fraternity, as a first-year student. “I feel grateful knowing I have all these connections for life no matter where I end up in my career.”

Click here to learn more about Fraternity & Sorority Life at New Paltz.