SBU Fraternity and Sorority Students Recognized for Their Leadership Work

This past Spring, the Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA) held its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where members of Stony Brook University's fraternity and sorority community earned multiple recognitions and honors.

NGLA is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership development for fraternity and sorority leaders in the Northeast region. At its latest conference, NGLA hosted case study competitions and recognized those in attendance with accolades.

Between two respective case study tracks, SBU students Mikaeel Zohair and Izabel Viveiros won first place while Steven Ye and Brodie McDermott came in second. Outside these competitions, the four students were recognized by the Order of the Omega for outstanding leadership and development, while Viveiros alone was recognized as a scholarship recipient for her work within Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL).

FSL Assistant Director Gabrielle Barone attended the NGLA conference alongside these students, and shared her admiration for their accomplishments this past year, such as the case study wins. "They were locked in," Barone said of SBU's case study teams. "They were determined. From the first day that the table was out at NGLA to register, they were going to be a part of the case studies and they were going to win."

Not only was there an SBU presence in the attending audience, but a presence assisting with the conference as well, specifically from the Office of Student Life's FSL team. FSL Director Sixto Iván Arias served as an assistant conference chair for NGLA, and will return next year to serve as the conference chair for 2027.

"My biggest takeaway is the power of community," Arias said of his experience serving on the NGLA leadership team - a three-year commitment. "Coming together with these folks that I consider an extended family, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time volunteering as assistant conference chair." Arias is now looking ahead to next year's NGLA conference, which will be held in Boston.

On the student side of the recent Pittsburgh conference, FSL Graduate Coordinator Kaylee Pappas worked the conference as a student staff member. Prior to NGLA, Pappas already had some leadership experience within FSL, previously serving as president of Sigma Delta Tau and vice president of recruitment for the SBU chapter.

"I think it's really important to have a space where students can come together from all different organizations and councils because there's so many beautiful purposes within Greek life," Pappas said of the NGLA conference. "Seeing students problem solve together and talk about the different things that work and don't work in their organizations, I think it's just a really great shared space for them. I think they're able to leave the conference with really great ideas to help support their community in a better way."

How to Get Involved in Fraternity and Sorority Life

For students interested in getting involved in the fraternity and sorority community at SBU, there are a number of opportunities throughout the year to do so. In fact, this past academic year, FSL reached a milestone and welcomed its largest open house pool since 2017, growing the university's panhellenic community to over 300 members across all chapters.

The first opportunity for students to get involved during the 2026-2027 academic year is the inaugural Seawolves Block Party hosted by the Office of Student Life. Combining the university's past Involvement Fair and Red Day events into one extravaganza, this block party will allow students to discover campus organizations, grab giveaways, experience live performances, and more. Hosted across the SAC Academic Mall, the Seawolves Block Party kicks off at 1 pm on Friday, August 28, ending at 5 pm.

Students can also engage with clubs and student organizations throughout the year during Campus Lifetime, happening between 12:30 pm and 1:50 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays across the Academic Mall.