By Duane Johnson
The Zeta Sigma Lambda (ZSL) Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., also known as the San Diego Alphas, were named the 2026 Western Region Alumni Chapter of the Year. The announcement took place on the evening of Saturday, April 11th at the Hilton in Tucson, Arizona during the 77th Western Regional Convention. The San Diego Alphas competed against chapters from California, Arizona, Washington, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Japan and Korea. Preceding this honor, the San Diego Alphas were named the 2026 SoCal Alumni Chapter of the Year.
The San Diego Alphas far exceeded the expectations within the Western Region of the first intercollegiate Black Greek-lettered fraternity founded in 1906. While providing a record number of scholarships to college-bound students, they rendered countless hours of service and resources to San Diego homeless veterans. Last Spring, they were the highest fundraiser in the Western Region for maternal health research through the March of Dimes. Furthermore, San Diego diligently executed the mandated national programs of the fraternity – Go to High School, Go to College, A Voteless People is a Hopeless People, Project Alpha and Brother’s Keeper.
“This recognition is a direct reflection of the work being put in across the board,” said ZSL President Johnnie Welborne. “The long hours, the commitment to our programs, the attention to detail, and most importantly, the accountability we’ve been building within our Brotherhood has not gone unnoticed.”
The San Diego Alphas will compete this summer for the coveted title of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. National Alumni Chapter of the Year. They will face the winners from the alumni chapters in the Eastern, Southern, Midwestern and Southwestern regions. In the meantime, the San Diego Alphas will continue to be the custodians of the fraternity’s guiding principles- “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.”
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