Nonbinary student member of sorority
Humboldt State University student Dan Perez-Sornia might not have come to Humboldt County planning to break down barriers in the Greek life system. In fact, Perez-Sornia, can only think of one family member, a cousin, who has ever been involved in sororities or fraternities.
But Perez-Sornia, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they, them and their pronouns, is one of the first nonbinary individuals to be the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority at Humboldt State.
“To be honest, I think it’s hard for me to see myself as an inspiration. It just feels so normal most of the time and something that I don’t have to think about twice,” Perez-Sornia said in a video posted on the Humboldt State Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon. “… It’s important to know that times are changing and I’m kind of the embodiment of that change.”
Perez-Sornia is graduating with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry later this month, they told the Times-Standard on Thursday morning. They plan to go on to study at the University of San Francisco, closer to Perez-Sornia’s hometown of Pittsburg, in the East Bay.
The 21-year-old “blasted through” final exams earlier this week and is working on packing up their dorm room.
The Delta Phi Epsilon sorority announced in 2017 that it was moving to open up its chapters to transgender and nonbinary individuals. When Perez-Sornia found out about it, they said it opened up doors.
“I did a little bit of hunting,” they said. “The issue always came up of if I am nonbinary, does that mesh with members and some of the attitudes Greek life had? … Delta Phi Epsilon had put out their policy a year and half prior, so it really worked out for me in that way.”
Perez-Sornia said the bonds created with sorority sisters will help in future endeavors, noting the sorority is business-focused.
“Being able to network with this legacy we have … all of our alumni are all across the country,” PerezSornia said. “We are a business sorority so we work on the development of skills going into the working world.”
Graduating with a science degree, Perez-Sornia spent time working in the housing department at HSU and said it inspired a desire to help people of color in higher education, something that will be integral in master’s work in student affairs in San Francisco.
It’s a move, they said, that falls in line with the pillars of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority of justice, sisterhood and love.