In the fall of 2011, I was initiated into Delta Sigma Pi. Delta Sigma Pi is an international co-ed business fraternity whose mission is organized to foster the study of business in universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and to further a higher standard of commercial ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.
Once I graduated from Northern Arizona University and became an alumni member in 2014, I was inspired to give back in any way that would not keep me from pursuing my other personal, professional, and academic endeavors. Currently, I serve as the founding President of the Portland Cascadia Alumni Chapter in Portland Oregon, where our mission is to continue to build professionalism, brotherhood, and fellowship to all brothers located in the state of Oregon.
After noticing there weren’t any active collegiate or alumni chapters in the state of Oregon, I started reaching out to brothers to see who was around. I discovered there were over 200 alumni brothers in the state of Oregon, 3 of whom had tried to establish an alumni chapter within the past 4 years. Due to the efforts of those brothers before me, I simply got us all together and we planned out the logistics to officially establish an alumni chapter. During this time, we have held meetings for brothers to get to know each other, assisted with hosting brothers at a provincial conference, and we have had brothers become more involved in the Pacific Northwest region and on a national level to better serve the fraternity. We have had brothers become Certified Deltasig Leaders to serve as additional resources for brothers who are collegiate members.
We have accomplished so much within the year, and yet we still have so much in store for the future. We plan to assist with the chartering of a collegiate chapter, establish a scholarship fund, and further incorporate service into the mission of our alumni chapter. With elections for new chapter officers coming up, I am so excited for the brothers that plan to get involved and take initiative. Delta Sigma Pi has helped me grow so much as a student, professional, and individual. I admire the sense of family that I have with this fraternity no matter where I go.
To any alumni members of a fraternity or sorority, reflect on the good times you had. Think about the kind of impact the organization made in your life. And take the time to think to yourself “What can I do to be better?” and “What can I do to make my fraternity/sorority better?” Soon, you’ll have the answer, and once that happens, you’ll make a difference! Get involved, stay involved, and give back!
This post is part of our #SAvolunteers series, which will explore volunteering in all its forms, for all its reasons. For those student affairs pros who log in more hours once they leave the office, without the monetary reward, this one’s for you! For more information on this series, please see Jessi Robinson’s intro post. Be sure to check out the other posts in this series!
