Gil Alexandra Sanchez
Alpha Eta #1

Gil Alexandra Sanchez was born on 06/10/1983 in Honduras. She immigrated to the United States with her mother who suffered from Breast Cancer. Ale’s mom passed away from the horrible disease while Ale was still young. Ale was then raised by the family that her mother worked for.

Ale lived a very difficult life but never showed it. She was full of life and brightened everyone’s existence. She loved to dance and loved to make people happy. She could also hold up an argument and prove her point.

Ale began attending the University of California at Berkeley fall of 2001 where she majored in Political Science. She dreamed about becoming a lawyer. Ale pledged for Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority, Inc. her sophomore year, fall 2002, and became our Sister. She is Alpha Chapter Eta Class #1.

Ale visited her home country of Honduras during that winter break. She took her mother’s ashes to Honduras where they would lay to rest. During that trip, Ale and her family were involved in a tragic accident where Ale passed away on 01/03/2003. Ale was only 19 years old.

The sisters of the Founding/Alpha Chapter spent only months getting to know Ale but will remember her forever. She has impacted our chapter in a very powerful way. Her pledge sisters had the opportunity to know her best and hold in their possession Ale’s Sigma belongings.

The sisters of the Founding/Alpha Chapter ask all sisters to honor the memory of Ale. We miss you and love you, Ale, our Honduran Princess, and our China Morena Cantinera. We will forever remember you in our Sigma Chapter, our Eternal Chapter.

Once a Sigma, Always a Sigma… You Know!

By: Rosie I. Hernandez (Alpha Gamma #10)

Ramona Urrutia Gedney “Mona”
Alpha Beta #5

Black converse on her feet, short jet black hair with bangs cut just right, Betty Page style and that jacket she wore with all the rebellion of James Dean. She was the coolest person I had ever met and I was beyond lucky to call her my sister and my best friend. She was rockabilly from head to toe with the mind of a philosopher.

Ramona Urrutia Gedney “Mona” Alpha Beta #5 pledged for our sisterhood in the Fall of ‘97, a junior by then who wanted to create a connection to her Chicana/Latina roots and be more involved on campus. A philosophy major, so fitting of her brilliant, amazingly weird mind and hilarious personality. Her favorite philosopher Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism. She spoke of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Plato and Aristotle bestowing her knowledge and maturity in her conversations.

She walked down Durant like she owned the place, every step with purpose, a calming presence with just enough edge. She would get home to her apartment and call her parents, laughing as her dad answered loudly “Hey girlfriend!” She talked with such love and connection with her parents, her younger sister Marisa, and her grandparents, listening to Barkley barking in the background. Missing home like crazy but knowing she was in the right place. Excited for the next time she would go back to Downey, knowing that was her end goal to graduate and move back home.

Mona loved music; The Ramones, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Green Day, Elton John, and all the 80’s songs that made you want to dance. Still her favorite of all time was an indie band from Berkeley, The Mr.T Experience. Mona went to all their concerts in the Bay, many with Marina our pledge sister and one with me, the day before their college graduation. It was quite memorable (they almost missed their graduation). Mona made her own fun, playing her records and singing along with her brush in hand to “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” bringing me in to be the Kiki Dee to her Elton John. She added life to my life, color to the campus, and a spark to Sigma. She smiled with such authenticity it was contagious. Simple memories of her like drinking Coca Cola, eating cereal, collecting records and trinkets become very memorable. She was an A student, amazing friend, perfect daughter, sister, and granddaughter. Her mom and sister were her best friends and her dad was her role model who had gone back to college later in life to become a teacher. Inspired by him she went on to become a beloved and respected elementary teacher
for 16 years until her passing.

She was 39 when she passed on February 6, 2017. Mona was the kind of person you wanted in your life, she made being away at college more than bearable, she made it feel like home. She was fun, lively, loving, caring and made us all laugh. She won “The Funniest Sigma” award. She was also thoughtful and kind. On Valentine’s Day she would get so excited to hand out Valentine cards like in elementary school to all of us during our Sigma meeting. After our meetings we would walk at night to the Campanile and sit on the bench that faced the Lincoln bust and talk to Lincoln as if he listened, cracking jokes, but mostly talking about all the good and bad. Usually it was her giving me the best advice and encouragement. Mona made you feel seen and heard.

I felt her loss in my soul. I think of her often especially on our shared birthday June 2nd and on December 3rd the day we officially became sisters. She was a gift to the world, to me, to Sigma, to all of us that knew her. I wish you all had met her. I hope through this you get to know her a little more and realize how amazing our sister Mona truly was.

Love you Mona!
“Ohh-hoo, Nobody knows it, nobody knows, right from the start I gave you my heart, oh I gave you my heart …” – Elton John & Kiki Dee

By: Elena Ceja (Alpha Beta #2)