Discovering A Brother

Brothers Find Each Other in Navy Officer Candidate School

by Justin Sines
Duquesne University, ‘11

Brother Taylor Dreher (RPI, ‘17) (right) with Brother Christian Reed (SDSU, ‘17) (left).

Two men find themselves in the dental office during their time at Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.

They begin discussing college and fraternity life and realize that they are both brothers of Phi Kappa Theta. Christian Reed (San Diego State University, ‘17), and Taylor Dreher (RPI, ‘17), were both candidates for Naval Officers at the time, and, now, they are currently roommates in Pensacola, Florida, in their first phases of flight training.

Reed reminisces, “One day I sat next to Taylor in the dental office and we started learning about each other’s lives back home. Fraternity life came up and I told him I was in Phi Kappa Theta. Without skipping a beat, Taylor extended his hand to me and gave me the grip.”

Brother Dreher recalls his time at OCS as “not being a fun place and the first couple weeks there are especially stressful,” but knows that he made the right decision to continue the tradition of his family. Both his brother, Nathan Dreher, and grandfather, Lieutenant Richard Cappelletti, were his biggest motivators to join the Navy, but says that his father and uncles also served in the military. Dreher states that OCS is “a lot to handle,” but “meeting another Phi Kap […] instantly eliminated that feeling of being alone in a strange place.”

Brother Reed said, “Having a fellow brother in the same program […] has made my adjustment from civilian to military life much easier,” although he has wanted to serve in the military since his eighth grade field trip to Washington D.C. He remembers his intense appreciation for our men and women in military uniform as he toured the Pentagon and as he paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Both Dreher and Reed said that their transition into their Officer positions was made easier by remembering the motto of Phi Kappa Theta: “Give, Expecting Nothing Thereof.” Dreher articulates that, “Naval Officers are trained to be servant leaders” and that “every choice [they] make must have the best interest of [their] sailors in mind.” Reed also conveyed the importance of servant leadership in both Phi Kappa Theta and the Navy and his commitment to setting a “high standard of honor, courage and commitment,” and “leading by example.”

It was happenstance that two brothers of Phi Kappa Theta from completely different sides of the country ended up in Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, during February 2018. It was coincidence they met at the dental office. But it wasn’t by chance that their ties of brotherhood stood the test of OCS and helped them both graduate as Officers and will help them grow in their Navy careers.

Main Image: Brother Taylor Dreher (RPI, ‘17) in his naval uniform on the left and Brother Christian Reed (SDSU, ‘17) in his naval uniform on the right with other brothers from SDSU.

A Part of Something Bigger

Brother Ali Soufan Receives Phi Kappa Theta’s 2018 John F. Kennedy Award

by Matthew R. Miller
University of Nebraska, ‘12

Brother Ali Soufan (Mansfield University, ‘94) during a Q&A at IMPACT18 in Orlando, FL ).

Ali Soufan (Mansfield University, ‘94) applied to the FBI on a dare.

“When I joined the Bureau I didn’t think in a million years I’d be an FBI agent,” he said. “Literally it was a bet with fraternity brothers. Most of the guys in my fraternity were in law enforcement and ROTC. It was a joke to see if I would last in the application process. Actually I bet against myself.”

But Soufan did last. Over the next decade he was involved in a number of high-profile anti-terrorism cases around the world and has been described as the person who came closest to preventing the attacks of September 11, 2001. He has published two books, Anatomy of Terror: From the Death of Bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State and The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda. A recent Hulu miniseries, The Looming Tower, is based on his time in the FBI. Soufan is now CEO of The Soufan Group and founder of The Soufan Center – a “nonprofit organization dedicated to serving as a resource and forum for research, analysis, and strategic dialogue related to global security issues and emergent threats.”

Mr. Soufan is also the most recent recipient of Phi Kappa Theta’s John F. Kennedy Award – given to brothers who have thrived in their professional careers and who inspire others to live lives of service of others, improving the world around them.

In his acceptance speech Soufan noted John F. Kennedy once said leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. Soufan explained leadership isn’t about words and lectures but about action and attitude. Those actions and attitudes are themselves shaped by our experiences and our values – which is why his time in Phi Kappa Theta was so valuable.

“When I joined Phi Kaps, like I think most of you, I joined for the fun, for the parties, but then I realized it was way more than that,” he said. “It meant something to me to be something bigger than I am, and I’m very honored for that and will always be honored to be a brother of Phi Kappa Theta.”

The values he first felt full force in college – loyalty, trust, sacrifice friendship were things he said were vital to his work in counter-terrorism and the FBI.

“Many of my colleagues who were with me in places like Yemen and Afghanistan, the streets of the Middle East or north Africa, a lot of these guys we developed our own kind of brotherhood but it’s all based on my experience that I had before in college.”

Soufan believes many people today still see that stereotypical fraternity life of parties and mindless fun, but a deeper, honest look reveals the values Phi Kappa Theta possesses, values that can and will stay with a person forever if they take them seriously.

That’s a theme Soufan keeps returning to – the time a young man spends in college does not exist in isolation from the rest of his life. Phi Kappa Theta was so important for Soufan and can be for others because it’s a framework during a foundational time. The choices made, values acquired, the people one allows themselves to be shaped by, are all building towards a future life.

“The values of loyalty, friendship, courage, fortitude, love, faith - these things nobody can take away from you,” he said. “These things won’t stop the moment you graduate and you leave for real life. These values will continue with you. They continued with me through my professional life… These values are the true test of brotherhood and these values are the true test of leadership and these things will continue with us forever.”

Soufan said Phi Kappa Theta made his college experience far richer than it otherwise would have been. He was shaped, and continues to be shaped, by his college and especially his fraternal experience. It’s taken him where he is today and has given him the foundation to persevere when he needed to the most.

“If you have the brotherhood and the loyalty and sacrifice and you put them with these other values, I think you’ll be on a very strong personal and moral ground to fight and stand up against any difficulties in life,” he said.

Main Image: The 2018 John F. Kennedy Award recipient, Brother Ali Soufan (Mansfield University, ‘94), speaking with brothers at IMPACT18 in Orlando, FL this past August.

Watch Brother Soufan’s speech from IMPACT18 in Orlando, FL:

Overcoming Adversity to Give Back to Others

Colin Nguyen: 2018 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Recipient

by Kathy Jonas
Indiana University, ‘78

There’s the picture of Colin Nguyen (University of Washington, ‘05) as the very definition of the American Dream. Immigrating to the United States as Communism took over South Vietnam while just seven years old, he spent time in a camp in Thailand where he and other children took used syringes and made them into water guns.

He was the recipient of the College Success Foundation Scholarship, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates. He went on to run one of the leading real estate companies in the Pacific North West. Along the way he conceived and organized an annual toy drive to benefit children spending the holidays in Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Then there’s the Colin Nguyen who entered a gang. The promising student who dropped out of college when his mother died. The successful college grad who lost his high-powered job and his fortune when the bottom dropped out of the economy while working for one of the largest mortgage companies in the country.

Both pictures represent the qualities espoused by Phi Kappa Theta: struggle through adversity, leadership, integrity, service to others, spiritual contemplation and reflection in times of loss and failure, the forgiving nature of brotherhood and the power of perseverance and courage.

“The greatest opportunity in life is the opportunity to experience the peaks and valleys that life has to offer,” said Nguyen as he received the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation Outstanding Young Alumnus Award at IMPACT18 in Orlando, Florida. The award is given to an alumnus under the age of 35 who exemplifies the ideals of Phi Kappa Theta through success and service to the community.

The journey Nguyen has traveled is as circuitous as his journey from Vietnam in 1990 and neither pictures of him accurately portray the man he has become. But a few things stand out: the love and respect of a parent, the fidelity of brotherhood and the resiliency of the human spirit.

In his speech given after receiving the award, Nguyen remembers his first Christmas in the United States when he and his family were at a food bank. They found themselves in line looking at used toys to take home. His mom suggested that a stuffed teddy bear might be a nice toy to select. “That night my mom taught me a profound lesson: that our attitude and perception will often determine our outcomes in life.”

While his early years were often plagued by bullying because of his inability to speak English, he said his mother refused to give up on him despite hanging out with the wrong crowd and even finding himself being held at gunpoint.

“There are moments in life, though, when we come to a crossroads and we need to look at ourselves in a mirror and decide what path to follow.”

That moment happened after coming home from a street fight one night and finding his mother crying at the kitchen table. She told him she had just found out she had terminal cancer and had only three years to live. Her dying wish was for him to attend college. “Little did I know that my life would change after that.”

He got a part-time job, studied hard to bring up his D average and ended up graduating with a 3.7 GPA. He got accepted at the University of Washington only to find out his family could not afford it. The Bill and Melinda Gates educational foundation had just started and he was the recipient of a scholarship.

Nguyen entered Phi Kappa Theta his sophomore year, only attending an event there because of the appeal of free pizza. He discovered some “amazing members” who inspired him to be focused and driven.

“Just as I was getting my life together, my worst fear occurred. During my sophomore year, my mom’s fight was coming to an end.” He pleaded with her to hang on until he graduated, hoping to make her dream come true. “As she passed away right in front of my eyes, I felt alone, abandoned and empty inside.”

He dropped out of college for a time, only returning after the support and love shown by his fraternity brothers. When they got up at the funeral and helped carry the casket to her burial site, he knew these people would remain a part of his life forever.

“We may come from different backgrounds and families, but this amazing brotherhood of Phi Kappa Theta unites us all together as brothers in life.”

“A few weeks later I decided to continue the journey to finish college in honor of my mom,” says Nguyen. “Don’t run away from the pain of your past, for pain will help you build character and lead you to a new beginning.”

He admits to being pretty smug when he got his first job and began acquiring a large house, a fancy car and was quickly anticipating a six figure salary. “I thought to myself ‘this is easy. I’ve figured out the key to success. I was an idiot to think that success could come so easy.”

He prayed to God for help, admitting he had lost his way. He didn’t go bankrupt, but learned some important lessons. “Believe me, I’m still making honest mistakes every day and learning from them,” he added.

He runs his real estate company and looks forward to time with his wife and daughter. The toy drive continues each Christmas in honor of his mother and all the children who cannot be home for the holidays. While serving thousands of children, his vision is to have a semi-truck filled with toys for the kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

“Today I’m grateful to be living the life my mom always believed I was capable of achieving.”

Main Image: 2018 Outstanding Young Alumnus, Colin Nguyen (University of Washington, ‘05) (right), with Fraternity President Adrian Gonzalez (University of Texas at Austin, ‘78) (left).

Watch Brother Nguyen’s speech from IMPACT18 in Orlando, FL:

Louisiana State University Christmas Luncheon

Please join your brothers at our 35th Christmas Luncheon to renew old friendships!

The luncheon will be on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at the Court of Two Sisters, 613 Royal Street.

Social hour starts at 11:30 am, with lunch served at 12:30 pm.

The cost is $60.00 which includes cocktails, lunch and wine with your meal.

All monies will be collected at the Court of Two Sisters (cash or check).

If you are planning to attend, please RSVP to gbergeron0520@gmail.com so that an accurate head count can be given to the Court of Two Sisters.

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Louisiana State University Chapter Has Always Been Going Strong Despite Closure

by Kathy Jonas
Indiana University, ‘78

Every Christmas, Phi Kap brothers from Louisiana State University get together at the historic Court of Two Sisters restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans to celebrate the holiday, each other and their fraternity.

It’s not just a luncheon for a few friends, though. Last year, about 70 brothers gathered at the restaurant, thanks to the work of people like Glenn Bergeron (Louisiana State University, ‘70), who has been running the lunch after taking over from the late Leslie Schouest (Louisiana State University, ‘72), who had the idea back in 1981, with a structured event starting a few years later. “I was Leslie’s roommate and vowed to continue it in his honor following his death in the late 80’s.”

“It was a challenge to get the guys there at first,” admits Bergeron. Today, Phi Kappa Theta members travel from as far as New York and Arizona to attend, while the main nucleus is the Baton Rouge and New Orleans area.

This year’s holiday social is scheduled for December 13. And although the restaurant is known for its Creole-Cajun fare, Bergeron says the preferred menu for the luncheon is more “meat and potatoes” type of food.

One of the topics discussed by Phi Kappa Theta alumni gathering in New Orleans is the possible recolonization of the fraternity, which lost its charter in the late 80’s.

Charles “Mike” Callais (Louisiana State University, ‘84), says the effort is in its beginning stages and last year Robert Riggs, CAE (RPI, ‘02), Executive Vice President of the Phi Kappa Theta Executive Office, came to the luncheon to discuss the possibility.

Brother Callais said, “There certainly needs to be a Catholic presence on campus. For many students, college is the first time they’ve been away from their family. They need something to keep them grounded.”

An active alumni base is important in order to get the process started, adds Callais. “We are making slow progress.” Callais also believes that students would benefit from the opportunity to give back to others. Brother Callais is currently serving a a six-year term with the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, Callais was hammering signs along the highway while talking about the Fraternity. A former CEO of an offshore business, he gives back through his church, Catholic Community Services, the Rotary Club where he has served as past president, and is involved with the Knights of Columbus.

When he volunteered to fill a Port Commission opening, this was said about him: “Mike’s humble leadership and mind for business will be an asset to our board…He is a valued resource in our community, and we appreciate him volunteering his services to the Port Commission.”

Callais readily admits that this leadership mindset might not have been top of mind while in college, but believes it can be reinforced while in the fraternity. “Everybody needs something; they just need help getting it.”