January 23, 2010 (Flagstaff, Arizona) — A new colony ofGamma Rho Lambda (GRL) has been recognized at Northern Arizona University(NAU). GRL is the first national sorority with a focus on a social support system for college students in the LGBTA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight-ally) community. Colonies and chapters of GRL are rapidly spreading, now located in California, Arizona, Kansas, Indiana, and New York and will soon be recognized in Texas and Wisconsin.

The process of bringing a new chapter of GRL to NAU began over a year ago when Alison Schertenlieb, a sister of Arizona State University’s (ASU) Alpha Chapter, transferred schools to continue her studies in nursing. Schertenlieb and her 8 co-founders have worked tirelessly to gain recognition as a colony. She is very proud of how well her fellow founders work together. “Everyone just clicked from the beginning. We feel like sisters already,” Schertenlieb said.

The NAU colony is especially passionate about their group because NAU only has one LGBTQ student organization. “Greek life is a big part of NAU, and this is another avenue for queer and progressive students to be involved in Greek life”, said Schertenlieb. The NAU colony has greatly benefited from Schertenlieb's experience as a member of Alpha Chapter, “I think it's made me a little less nervous about starting a colony. I can't imagine going into it all without knowing anything about Greek life. I really commend those students who start GRL colonies at our other universities without prior experience in a Greek organization. It's much easier for me to work with the Greek system and tell potential members what to expect.”

Both the NAU colony and ASU's Alpha Chapter look forward to having fellow GRLs nearby. “Being so close to NAU, our chapter is excited to help Alison and the colony however they may need,” Krystal Correa, AlphaChapter President, said. “Alison was an outstanding sister and will be able to establish a strong sisterhood at NAU through our values and mission.”

“Seeing the organization continue to grow and help young women in their college years is truly motivating from a national perspective,”said Janette Smith, National Vice President of Expansion. “NAU is an excellent school with a strong Greek tradition, and we are looking forward to having a chapter at such a well established university.”