Gabriella Pantoja is a 21-year-old business management major with a minor in leadership studies. She is currently a senior and her dream is to become a managing financial analyst. Gabby, as she is affectionately called, is the current president and vice president of community service of Delta Sigma Pi. She stresses that the aspect of greek life she loves the most is the unity and brotherhood it has to offer.
“It is a great way to spend time with other business majors who are seeking similar dreams and to bond,” said Gabby. “These people, who I call my brothers, I hope to know for a very long time because that is how important they are to me.”
She adds that the typecasting and stereotyping that is associated with greek life can be quite daunting at times. This definitely does not stop her from being involved on campus, as she understands that there are pitfalls in every venture we explore.
Instead, she maintains her presence on campus by participating in community service events. Gabby particularly enjoys taking part in those organized by the CLCE. When she isn’t volunteering with CLCE, she partakes in professional events that are held by the College of Business.
Her on campus life has influenced, but not completely changed her personality.
“I surprise people when I tell them I am shy because many people see me as outgoing,” said Gabby. “If it wasn’t for Delta Sigma Pi, I would not have been able to come out of my shell and blossom into the person I am today. It has really pushed me to my potential and I know many in my organization can relate to it.”
The easy going laid back girl will always be with her. She values family life and bonding with the people she loves.
“If I were to die and come back to life, I would come back as a dog,” said Gabby. “I would love to be able to bond with a family and feel the love that is given to an animal and to be able to live without any cares or stress.”
All the opportunities she has been presented with here at USF has made her a proud Bull. Two skills she learned at USF that will stay with her forever are public speaking and networking.
“I have learned how to become a better public speaker. I am not as afraid to stand up in front of people and speak. I am able to mingle with people I have never met because I learned it is good to network with other students,” Pantoja confessed.
She is dedicated to the empowerment of her fellow bulls and has a vision of what our campus could be. “I believe that all areas of USF should be equally lit to provide a safer environment,” she added. “Some of the parking lots have very dim lighting or barely any lighting at all, which makes me feel unsafe when walking to my car.”
We could all take a page from Gabby’s book and work toward making our community better.
Contact Gabby
Facebook – Gabby Pantoja
Linkedin – Gabriella Pantoja
For more information on Delta Sigma Pi
Facebook – Delta Sigma Pi at the University of South Florida
Website – www.dspusf.com
Twitter – @ThetaPhiDSP
Instagram – Dspusf