As Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. approaches 50 years on SMU’s campus this May, the chapter stands at the intersection of legacy and renewal, carried forward by generations of women committed to scholarship, sisterhood and social action.
Today, that responsibility rests in the hands of two juniors: Isabella Blanchard, a human rights and English major, and Lena Rembert, a business management and corporate communications major. Reintroduced to campus last fall, the chapter is currently led by just the two SMU students, a structure that demands clarity, trust and constant communication.
“Communication is probably the most important thing,” Rembert said. “If there’s only two people, that’s more workload for both of us.”
Unlike larger executive boards, where tasks are delegated across committees, their leadership model means sharing everything. From event planning and compliance paperwork to budgeting approvals and campus coordination, responsibilities do not divide; they double.
“With two people, there’s no real delegation,” Blanchard added. “It’s literally sharing a workload. You have to be on the same page.”
As both prepare to graduate next year, their focus is not simply on recruitment, but on sustainability. They want to ensure that whatever they build lasts beyond them.
“It’s about passing down the knowledge,” Rembert said. “So new members don’t have to learn everything the hard way.”
When asked which of Delta’s pillars feels most urgent right now, both pointed to the same reality: the world outside the Hilltop.
“Social action is the most pressing,” Blanchard said. “Understanding how to vote, what your vote means, how to reach lawmakers, that’s crucial right now.”
Rembert agreed, while emphasizing that sisterhood is equally necessary in uncertain times.
“People need people,” Rembert said. “Giving grace, especially when it’s just the two of us, is huge. We both have our own pressures. Being able to not take things personally and just get the work done is important.”
For them, sisterhood means accountability with compassion, a community that does not fracture under stress.
During Black History Month, that sense of unity becomes even more intentional.
“Black history is for everybody Black,” Rembert said. “There are so many divisions, African, African American, foundational Black Americans. At the end of the day, we’re still seen the same. Division only makes it harder to come together.”
Blanchard defines Black excellence as authenticity.
“Being your best self is excellence,” Rembert said. “Blackness is not a monolith. If you’re being yourself and not hurting anyone, that’s excellence.”
For Rembert, excellence is deeply personal. She points to her father, who pursued multiple degrees and is now working toward his doctorate despite being told he could not.
“Excellence is taking what people say you can’t do and doing it anyway,” she said.
Both leaders also addressed misconceptions about Delta and NPHC life. As members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, they emphasize unity and inclusivity.
“There are stereotypes about Deltas that just aren’t true,” Blanchard said. “We’re small on campus. Everyone in NPHC is unified. And our events aren’t just for people who want to join.”
Programming, they stress, is open to all.
“I want everyone to come,” Blanchard said. “It’s not signaling interest. It’s about learning something new.”
Their commitment to community is deeply rooted in their upbringing. Rembert, who grew up in Oak Cliff, said being raised in predominantly Black communities taught her early what it means to care for the people around her and stay connected to those who share that space. Those experiences shaped how she approaches leadership and how she understands identity. Her mother, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. with a master’s degree, also influenced her decision to pursue leadership within SMU’s Delta chapter.
Blanchard, who was largely raised in New Orleans, described a similarly close-knit, family-centered environment. Unlike Rembert, she did not have a legacy connection to the sorority, but her parents encouraged her to explore the different chapters available.
“It’s like unlocking new levels every day,” Blanchard said. “You finish one thing and there’s another form to fill out, another meeting to prepare for.”
Rembert describes it as “having another class, but it’s your life.” The work, they admit, never really sleeps. But they continue because they believe in the mission.
That belief is echoed by alumna Devean Owens-Toler Ph.D, who crossed the Nu Iota Chapter in Fall 2012 and graduated from SMU in 2016.
“We were the Seven Distinctions of Sovereignty,” Owen-Toler said. “I was number six on my line, my line name is Invincible.”
Owens-Toler recalls her time on campus as transformative. Her line members were spread across disciplines, holding leadership roles throughout the university, including within the Association of Black Students. Though chapter size has fluctuated over the years, she emphasizes that impact has never depended on numbers.
Her Delta experience extended beyond SMU. She traveled for probates, represented the chapter at the organization’s 100th Centennial National Convention in Washington, D.C., and participated in Leadership Delta, a national development program sponsored by General Electric. Yet what remains most meaningful is the sisterhood.
“My line sisters texted me tonight before I left the house to give me well wishes,” Owens-Toler said. “We’re spread across the country, but we’re still connected. That sisterhood is going to live on forever.”
Like the current undergraduate leaders, Owens-Toler believes social action is critical at this moment.
“Getting out to vote is extremely important. Emailing and calling your representatives is extremely important,” Owens-Toler said. “Young people need to get involved in politics in any way they can.”
As the chapter prepares to celebrate 50 years on SMU’s campus, Owens-Toler sees both responsibility and opportunity.
“Fifty years here is huge,” Owens-Toler said. “Put yourself out there. Be involved. Volunteer. Have a heart for service. Stay on your scholarship. Build relationships genuinely.”
For a chapter currently led by two women determined to grow it, and sustained by alumni who still answer the call, the milestone is more than symbolic. It is proof of endurance.
