Phi Kappa Theta - Iowa State University

XICLONE PAGE 2 M att Van Berkum '98 must admit he was against fraternities his freshman year at Iowa State University. That all changed, however, when his roommate backed out last minute and he didn't like his new dorm situation for sophomore year. His best friends from high school, Matt Braafhart '98 and Pat Wisse '98, reached out about joining Phi Kappa Theta. During the recruitment process, many members made a great impression on him, including Joe Pietruszynski '95, Rob Larson '97, Schott Shuler '96, Justin Upmeyer '96, Ryan Upmeyer '95, Lou Shell '95, Lance Rosenberger '96, Chris Schwarz '97, and Scott Braafhart '97. Phi Kappa Theta proved to be just what Matt needed; he was going through a difficult time when he joined, and the fraternity was a great place for him to begin a new start to life. "I think the biggest lesson it provided was how to stay focused and committed to the long-term potential and vision during tough times." Life at 2110 Lincoln Way As an undergraduate, Matt made fond memories and lasting friendships. He remembers playing foosball on the main floor, especially with Jeremy Heffernan '99. He also recalls a Tri Delta philanthropy event called Dolphin Daze. "We came up with a funny skit where I got to play Ace Ventura and Nuveen Amjed '98 played Snowflake. We ended up second to one of the bigger houses, even after Ryan O'hara '98 crushed the talent contest on his guitar, but we proved a lot to ourselves, and it was a huge boost to our brotherhood." At one point, there was more new members than actives, and it was difficult to keep the brotherhood on the right track. Alumni President Jerry Carpenter '88 and Treasurer Cory Krebs '88 stepped in so they could start fresh with seven members, along with Alumni Advisor Brian Streich '94, who helped craft a recruitment game plan called Feet on the Street. "All seven members dug in and owned that summer, setting the foundation that enabled the house to thrive again. We also had an amazing faculty advisor, Tom Tenhoeve '92, for many years, who really helped keep the house true to itself and served as a mentor to many undergraduates." Inspired to Give Back Iowa Xi had such a significant impact on Matt's life that he continues supporting the chapter as an alumnus. Matt has served as alumni treasurer, vice president, and president and is grateful to all past and current board members for keeping the fire going through the highs and lows. "The best part of being on the board was the inspiration I got working with such dedicated guys that live by our motto, "Give, expecting nothing thereof." In his personal life, Matt has worked for PepsiCo for 24 years. He currently serves as supply chain manager and enjoys this position, as it has allowed him to travel around the U.S. and Canada and meet great people. During his time at Pepsi, he has experienced many opportunities; he even received an award for leading a team that built an application to collect real-time shop-floor data interfacing with SAP. Matt is proud to be a new uncle to a nephew in D.C., which has brought his family closer. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, listening to live music, hiking, traveling, and visiting natural parks. He also enjoys completing DIY projects around his 1925 bungalow in Denver. You can connect with him at berk88@gmail.com. Matt Van Berkum '98 Is Constantly Inspired by His Iowa Xi Brothers We were so fortunate to have Eric Van Gorp '01 serve as vice president of properties for more than 20 years. Nate Kemmer '03 can do anything (and literally did) for the house for so many years. Jon Hicks '02 and Cory Milmier '12 have done an amazing job navigating through tough financial times and setting us up for long-term success. Paul Peterson '01 provided tremendous leadership, energy, and dedication. Chris Rickert '98 deserves a lot of credit for stepping up when the board needed it the most and instilling the meaning of our motto. Cory Krebs '88 was instrumental in my love for Iowa Xi. He was tremendous at calming a difficult situation, getting everyone to believe anything is possible, and reminding us that better times were ahead if we stayed dedicated. Jerry Carpenter '88 is the man. D ed ic ated to G iv i n g Brother Shoutouts Matt Recognizes Those Who Have Made a Difference at Iowa Xi

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