What Kind of Experience Does Gamma Phi Beta at UC Berkeley Offer?

Gamma Phi Beta at UC Berkeley (the Eta Chapter) offers a sisterhood experience that begins on your first day on campus and continues through graduation and beyond. According to the chapter, members find a welcoming community built on trust, respect, and shared values, with opportunities for leadership growth, personal development, and a lasting sense of belonging. This page explains what that experience involves, based on the chapter's own description of itself.

A Sisterhood Framed as "True and Constant"

The chapter describes its sisterhood with two words: true and constant.

• True — friendships built on trust, respect, and shared values.
• Constant — support and connection that last through college and well beyond.

The chapter notes it has offered this sisterhood at UC Berkeley for more than 131 years, positioning the experience as something with a long institutional history rather than a short-term college activity.

What the Member Experience Includes

Based on the chapter's description, the experience centers on a few connected elements:

Belonging from day one

The chapter states that from a member's first day on campus to graduation, she will find a welcoming sisterhood and experiences meant to shape her college years and beyond.

Leadership and personal growth

In a letter from Chapter President Samantha Perez-Mendez, she describes Gamma Phi Beta as having challenged her to grow as a leader and as a person, and as becoming "a true home away from home." This suggests the experience is framed around development, not just social membership.

Valuing individuality

The president writes that what she values most about the Eta Chapter is "the individuality of our members" — each woman brings her own passions, strengths, and goals, while being united by a sisterhood that encourages mutual support and authenticity.

Building "confident women of character"

The chapter frames its purpose as building women who "lead with purpose and make a meaningful impact."

The Core Values Behind the Experience

The chapter states that four core values guide how members care for one another, contribute to their community, pursue growth, and stay committed to the sisterhood:

These values are presented as the foundation for both day-to-day member life and the longer-term bond between members.

Friendships That Extend Beyond College

A recurring theme in the chapter's description is duration. The president notes that the Berkeley years "may be only one chapter of our lives," but the friendships, memories, and sense of belonging found there "extend far beyond college." The "true and constant" framing is used specifically to describe this lasting quality of the relationships.

Who This Experience Is For

This description will be most useful if you are:

• A prospective or incoming UC Berkeley student considering sorority recruitment.
• A parent or supporter trying to understand what membership involves.
• Someone researching the Eta Chapter specifically, rather than Gamma Phi Beta as a national organization.

The chapter's own framing emphasizes individuality and authenticity alongside community, so the experience is presented as one that accommodates different personalities and goals rather than requiring a single type of member.

How to Learn More

The chapter's website includes a letter from the Chapter President and an invitation to "Learn more" about the Eta Chapter. For specifics such as recruitment timelines, membership requirements, dues, or housing, you would need to consult the chapter directly — the chapter's public description focuses on values, culture, and the nature of the sisterhood rather than logistics.