Brothers Making a Difference: Nebraska Chapter Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity

Phi Kapa Theta’s Nebraska chapter recently volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. They painted walls and ceilings, and prepared rooms to be furnished and used. Brothers Ethan Tomlinson (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ‘25), Evan Sestak (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ‘24), Christian Friesen (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ’24), and Will Wiley (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ’22) share their experiences below.

Nebraska Chapter Members Volunteering at Habitat for Humanity

What did you take away from your experience?

Ethan: I took away knowing that my gift of time was going toward creating a nonprofit furniture store for people who can’t afford to furnish their new homes on their own.

Evan: After working, I felt that Habitat for Humanity is a great organization that really puts other people first and truly tries hard to provide the best for people in need.

Christian: A big takeaway I got from the experience was that many hands make light work, and we were able to really accomplish a lot because everyone pitched in and helped. 

Will: After my experience, I took away just how much we can do to help in a few short hours and how much fun we can have while serving others. 

What would you tell someone who was thinking about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity?

Ethan: I would recommend volunteering there because they need lots of help building houses.

Evan: Go for it. It's really fun and definitely worth it.

Christian: If someone was thinking about volunteering for habitat for humanity, I would tell them to go for it because it isn’t a huge commitment, but it goes so far to help a cause that everyone can agree is great. 

Will: I would tell somebody to volunteer. It’s so much fun, and the people are so nice. You also are going to feel so much pride in helping someone else, and this is a great agency to help.

Has this experience opened your mind up to volunteering in other ways?

Ethan: I plan on going back to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity because they were very friendly and easy to follow.

Evan: My experience has opened my eyes to volunteering more in the future and in other ways.

Christian: This experience made me more likely to volunteer in the future because I learned that I could do things I enjoy (like painting), and in doing so help make it easier for people to succeed in their own missions. 

Will: Personally, my life involves volunteering all the time. This made it to where I feel like instead of working with one agency all the time and putting in a lot of work for them, I can work with one agency every so often and have a blast just helping someone I don’t typically help. I absolutely plan to volunteer more in the future because it’s something I love to do.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience or how this impacted you?

Evan: It was really fun, and I hope to do more volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity.

Christian: Something I loved about volunteering was how close it brought everyone together. There really isn’t much that helps people bond like waking up early and doing something good for someone else. 

Will: Working with Habitat for Humanity was one of the most fun events I’ve been able to set up this semester. Volunteering is so much more fun when you have your brothers with you. I look forward to working with my brothers and Habitat for Humanity a lot more in the future.

Volunteering is just one way Phi Kappa Theta’s brothers are encouraged to make a difference in the world around us. If you are interested in volunteering or donating to Habitat for Humanity, visit their website to learn more. If your chapter has volunteered with a nonprofit, share that story with us so we can showcase how your chapter is making a difference.

Raymond Wu Joins the Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity Board

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA | March 29, 2022 – Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity is excited to welcome Raymond “Ray” Wu (San Diego State University, ‘11) to the board. He brings a broad range of experience to the table and fully believes in the mission of the organization.

Ray graduated from San Diego State University in 2011 with a Kinesiology degree. During his time at SDSU, he served various leadership roles for the CA Phi Iota Chapter: Secretary, Finance Director and Chapter President. Upon graduation, he served as the Chapter Alumni Advisor and the Alumni President until 2018.

Professionally, he has committed himself to our Fraternity’s Motto: “Give Expecting Nothing Thereof” and pursued a career in serving others. He has spent the last 10 years with the YMCA of San Diego County. He currently is the Associate Executive Director leading branch operations in one of the most diverse communities in the country. 

In his spare time, he volunteers as a mentor to an organization that work with foster youth and young adults. He enjoys playing basketball and golf. He loves food adventures and traveling.

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Washington Alpha Delta Wins Chapter Operations of the Year at CFSL Award Ceremony

In photo (from left to right):

Cameron Wood (2023), Aaron Straka (2023), Alex Peterson (2022), Lane Harlan (2023), Ben Rodriguez (2023), Eric Sawin (2023), Elliot Thompson (2022), Spencer Knapp (2023)

On Wednesday, November 17, 2021 Washington State University’s Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life (CFSL) held its annual Arete Awards Ceremony honoring over 80 Washington State University Greek leaders and chapters (WSU Insider).

“Arete is a Greek word for excellence and moral virtue.”

At the ceremony, Phi Kappa Theta’s Washington Alpha Delta chapter was presented with the Chapter Operations award recognizing the best chapter operations on campus. Some of the contributing factors for this honor include operational consistency, strong relationships within its executive board (the chapter’s collegiate leadership team) as well as inspiring pride and tradition within their chapter. Washington Alpha Delta’s president, Ben Rodriquez, highlighted how the chapter’s leader’s contributions led to the CFSL recognition:

Consistency in how the chapter is run by each executive board. Going into our positions, we all knew what was expected out of our position and communicated effectively with past exec members (leaders) to get a good idea of what their specific role entails.

Strong relationships within our executive board. All of us communicated frequently and left no stone unturned. Our weekly exec meetings were used as an opportunity to bring up all issues relating to our fraternity.

Pride and tradition of Phi Kappa Theta. We stick true to our values and give expecting nothing thereof. We were lucky enough to have the late Paul Allen as one of our brothers and we are forever thankful of the chapter house he has given us. All members are aware of this and respect the house and the operations that allow it to sustain itself.

The chapter is looking forward to the future as they develop plans to continue growth. Rodriquez, mentioned their ongoing efforts, “We hope to continue right where we left off this past fall and work beyond that to a new level we have not seen since 2019.” Rodriguez went on to explain the effect COVID-19 had on their recruitment and fraternal involvement. “This new executive board is going to make it a priority to continue to recruit great men, especially those who will give to the Fraternity during all four of their years as a Coug here at WSU. More specifically, we hope to be number one in grades (usually ranked 3rd among fraternities), increase involvement in clubs and extracurriculars (allowing for a more diverse, ongoing recruitment), and lastly, continue to build off our unique tradition of creating positive experiences for our members. We believe these traditions create memories for our members which in turn, motivates them to give back to the chapter in any way possible.”

A Seminarian Tale with Michael Hess

Michael Hess (University of Wisconsin–Madison, ‘16) had prayed, “Lord, allow my will, to align with your will,” for ten years. This prayer changed his life and pushed him in the direction of seminary. Michael felt as though God was showing him where he was most needed over several years but didn’t recognize he had bigger plans until he was approached by several priests, all explaining their wish for him. It was then that he realized these messages he had been receiving and the car accident he was spared from were all part of a bigger plan that pushed him into the life he was meant to live. This is Michael’s story on how he landed on priesthood and how God led him there.  

In college, Michael made it a point to bring Jesus into every room. He didn’t want to miss out on socialization and making friends, but it was important to him that he kept his morals in check. Many students fall into temptations during their time in college, and he didn’t want that to be part of his journey. Later, it was made known that he ended up leaving a positive impact on his friends who grew close to him and strangers who simply witnessed his behavior. Being part of the Fraternity allowed him to expand his friendships as everyone had similar virtues and morals. They were all heavily involved and well known in the church and the Greek community, which also brought them together.   

With an education in engineering, he joined a company in California and began moving up the ladder. Through small talk, jokes, and prayer Michael slowly led many people on the job sites closer to God. He was able to teach those who became curious and ended up sharing the word of God every day with those surrounding him. Before Michael knew it, he became a missionary in the workforce. Later, he even took it further to host prayer groups on the tranquil beaches of Southern California. He enjoyed bringing people together and leading them in prayer. He felt a small call to priesthood but thought he was living the life God intended him to live through his missionary work in the workforce.  

Even though he felt secure in his career and friendships, he began wondering if there was something more that God was calling him to. He began receiving several messages and offers to push him to make a change.  

On January 5th, Michael was leaving a rosary and catching up with his friend, Mary, on the phone. He quickly realized he had made a mistake as he saw the red light passing his windshield after swiping his phone to view his map. Everything lit up around him as a Chevy Tahoe hit him. Remarkably, everyone walked away unharmed, but both vehicles were totaled. He realized that his guardian angels had protected him as he looked around his vehicle. His prayer cards had flown up and landed on his passenger seat, all face-up showing Mary, the mother of Jesus. This experience shook Michael, but he was released that day by any doubt he could have possibly had. He was determined to make some changes and live for God through his plans and less of his own.  

Michael Hess

It took many conversations and a huge leap of faith, but he is now currently in his first of six years of formation. This includes two years of philosophy and four years of theology. Michael is attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit but studying for the Madison Diocese. All along his journey, it is a continual discernment.   

This story was written from the details in the following interview:  

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CagW5hiDUzJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link