Unexpected Opportunities
When I went to college many of my friends were talking about joining a fraternity, so I decided to check it out. I assumed it would be good for me to make some friends and make some good memories. However, it was way more than just a social outlet.
As soon as I joined I realized that my fraternity wanted me to succeed and lead. Throughout my associate membership I learned a lot about myself and my passions. Pi kappa Phi's program is intended for you to find out where you succeed and how you can lead best. I found recruitment and community involvement to be my strongest passions.
Recruitment sounds fun and exciting on the outside. Many people think you just take guys to lunch and host events and then these guys just sign up and that's it. This is not the case. You have to be extremely organized and be able to be in contact with over 300+ high school seniors every day. Not only do you have to to convince these guys to join your organization you have to convince them to give you the opportunity to tell you about it. So in short you have to recruit to recruit these guys which is extremely difficult when they actually have to put in some effort when they are used to having everything done for them. It has helped me become more organized and has helped my communication skills with all kinds of people whom I have never met. This has helped me in many aspects of my life, especially my on campus job in an assignments office for student residence halls. These skills I have obtained will continue to be an influence on me as I build more and more on my communication and people skills.
Community involvement was one of Pi Kappa Phi's strongest attributes. We have had multiple members go on bike rides across America to raise support for our national philanthropy, the Ability Experience. The Ability Experience helps raise awareness and support for individuals with disabilities. On a local level we created an organization called Bulldogs on the Move. In this organization we go to our local campus gym and rent out a basketball court for college students to come for a time of fun and fellowship with children with disabilities. It is a great opportunity to give back in a "in person experience" and I have enjoyed this program from the beginning to the end of my college career.
Pi kappa phi has given me tools that I would not have gotten anywhere else. It has helped me grow as a person in so many different ways. I will always cherish my memories and experiences with this organization. I will continue to embody the characteristics I have learned in Pi Kappa Phi for the rest of my life. ODH.