Bella Fong
| Bella Cenzano-Fong | |
|---|---|
| Graduation | 1991 |
| Pledge Class | David A. Emery Class, Spring 1989 |
| Family | Tight |
| Big Bro(s) | Anna Mae Edpao |
History
Bella Cenzano-Fong, while notable at Iota Phi, is most famous at U.C. San Diego's Rho Pi chapter. On April 17, 1994 Bella rechartered the Rho Pi after the Vietnam War caused membership to dwindle and the chapter to close down. This was one of many chapters that she helped revive. Bella served in the chartering or rechartering efforts of Alpha Delta (San Diego State University) and Theta Iota (University of Arizona, Tuscon), charter of Northern Arizona University, and the recharter of Chi (UCLA) and Rho Rho (UC Irvine).
Bella is married to John C Cenzano (aka Juan), a fellow Rho Pi founder and Rho Pi's second DSK recipient. In recent years, they have been less active to raise their son and daughter.
Distinguished Service Key Confusion
At some point, members of Rho Pi had mistaken Bella's Sectional Distinguished Service Key (DSK) for a Chapter DSK, and it was incorporated into the chapter's lore. Rho Pi pledges were taught at least since the 2002-2003 academic term that Bella was the sole Rho Pi Chapter DSK recipient. However, the June 17, 2007 edition of Rho Pi's chapter newsletter reveals that several other people had, in fact, received the chapter DSK, and Bella Fong had not. Bella was finally awarded the Rho Pi Chapter DSK on April 20, 2008 at a Rho Pi alumni reunion.
Offices and Positions
Iota Phi
- Pledge Service Coordinator with Christina Wong (Spring 1989)
- Service Vice President with Bruce Grant (Spring 1990)
- Nationals Voting Delegate (Fall 1990)
- Region X representative on the Chapter Operations Committee
- President (Fall 1990)
- Historian (Spring 1991)
Alpha Delta
- Recharter Advisor
Rho Pi
- Recharter Advisor
Other
- Section Chair: Section 2 (1993, 1994)
- National Convention Bid Advisor
- Committee Advisor at 1996 National Convention
Awards and Accomplishments
- BASOOS
- Distinguished Service Key: Iota Phi, Spring 1991
- Namesake (Iota Phi): Bella Fong Class, Spring 1993
- Distinguished Service Key: Section 2, Spring 1994
- Namesake (Rho Pi): Bella Fong Class, Winter 2007
- Distinguished Service Key: Rho Pi, Spring 2008
- Founding Member of Rho Pi
Trivia
- Bella was the only Region X student to attend the National Office Dedication in 1991.
- The National Office accidentally sent Bella a Chapter DSK in place of her Sectional DSK. She sent it back to them to get the Sectional one, but never received it.
- For a time, Bella and John moved to the East Coast and served on Region II staff.
- Created the Golden Fork award as Chapter Historian.