Flowers and two two Arizona medical students doing clinical rotations in the district hospital
After talking with Brandon Flowers for an hour, it is no surprise the junior at Arizona State University encapsulates the Phi Kappa Theta mission of passionately serving. With an enthusiasm for international health and wellness, Flowers intends to graduate with a Business and Healthcare Management and Biology degree to pursue his passions.
“I want to help other physicians and other medical staff during an emergency crisis, or help healthcare systems, whether in government or private care, “explained Flowers. “I want to do more than a clinical role in medicine.”
Flowers returned from a mission trip back in August of 2019 after spending eight months in the West African nation of Ghana teaching in a local orphanage. While in Ghana, Flowers continued his studies at ASU, taking 22 credits online. This trip was Flowers' second trip to Ghana. His first trip was back in 2018, where he did clinical rotations alongside medical students in Shai-Osoduku District Hospital and learned alongside an American physician who is still practicing full time in Ghana. Flowers' passion is the medical field and his first trip allowed him to explore this passion further and established a longing to continue rural healthcare services to those in need. Flowers felt his first trip sparked his finding his purpose in his life.
“The biggest mistake we can do in our lives is not give it purpose,” Flowers said. “Having a purpose in life brings a service to people.”
Flowers assisting with a village medical screening
Flowers anticipated his second trip to Ghana, as he knew he wanted to continue to bring service to those in need, but he did not go to explore his passion for medicine. He was called to leave in January to help teach in a local orphanage. Teaching was not a top priority for Flowers, but his time in Ghana challenged him and exposed him to issues that needed to be solved. He gained an appreciation for serving people and filling needs no matter if those needs were in the medical field or elsewhere.
“The second trip gave me an opportunity to impact the kids, but also allowed me to learn from the doctors. It ended up becoming something that challenged me and exposed me to things that needed to be done,” he said.
Flowers spent his time in a village nearly two hours outside the main city, which he explored whenever he could. He frequented the local area, where most foreigners would not venture. He also ate the local food and traveled by public transportation which, in most cases, meant riding in a hollowed-out van. By exploring uncharted territory, Flowers forced himself to become immersed in the culture and began to love Ghana as a second home.
“I would love to live in a country like Ghana,” he revealed. “I really love their world.”
For many individuals, the thought of exploring a third world country or stepping out of their comfort zone to help those in need is intimidating. Barriers such as fear and financial constraints can hinder an individual from taking a leap faith. When asked what advice Flowers had for his fellow Phi Kappa Theta brothers, Flowers explained, “I think pretty strongly that first, if it is something as a matter of finances, God will provide. For brothers, there is no better time to go than now. Ghana is a big cultural shock. The kind of help I did there and the people I helped can be found a mile from me now. That should not be taken lightly as it is the mission of Phi Kappa Theta. Ultimately, there is no cost of learning something new and what I gained is so much higher than doing what is comfortable. Having a purpose in life brings a service to people. You are doing a disservice to yourself by not jumping on opportunities that are given to you.”
He encourages his brothers to take the leap of faith and when opportunities arise. Flowers grabs each opportunity given to him and extends those gateways to others. His desire to help those in need spread to the development of Gravity, a brand established to support and promote local nonprofits by providing buyers with trendy and quality products. Flowers and Joseph Bradley, a current Phi Kappa Theta at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, co-founded Gravity in their sophomore year of college. While their startup is in the early stages of growth, the timing provides Flowers the opportunity to travel to Ghana again and work with Bradley to revamp the online store. Their goal for Gravity is to allow student graphic designers to create products that a selected nonprofit could then promote. The proceeds from Gravity’s products would then benefit the nonprofit.
“We want it to bring focus to the nonprofit through a single base while bringing awareness to these nonprofits,” said Flowers of Gravity.
Flowers with two children from the children’s home where he volunteered and a local staff member
Flowers continues to attend ASU and investigate his passion for rural medicine and nonprofits. He is currently the Vice President of Spiritual Development for the Arizona Alpha Zeta chapter. His time with the chapter's executive board has granted him opportunities to become more involved in the Fraternity.
While thinking about Phi Kappa Theta’s mission to inspire men to passionately serve society, Fraternity and God, Flowers said he is grateful for the brotherhood and their encouragement during his mission trips.
“When I came back from Ghana, I was welcomed in,” he said. “Guys were open to being emotional, and that comes from being more involved with the fraternity and getting to know your brothers deeper.”
During his most recent trip to Ghana, Flowers was considered an "inactive member" on the chapter's roster, but his brothers insisted he stay involved as much as he could.
“It was healthier for me to stay involved with my brothers while in Ghana because they were my support system,” he shared. “One of the greatest things about Phi Kappa Theta is the organization is full of men with heart. There is a lot of encouragement in that. Our Fraternity breathes the kind of man to encourage others to go out and be of service to others.”