Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Colorado

S igEp's courageous leadership in the Fraternity world is differentiated by the people we bring together and the powerful experiences and supportive environments we provide. Our volunteers are key to this leadership. Fourteen brothers strong, the Colorado Alpha AVC is working together to support the future of CO Alpha Chapter. As SigEp prepares to welcome new members into a revitalized brotherhood in Fall '25, volunteers are investing their time to ensure the long-term growth and success of the Chapter through connection with you, our alumni, and managing assets and corporate health to reopen the Chapter! We will need a team of volunteers to serve as key Chapter operations volunteers, ranging from Chapter counselor to faculty fellow and all the mentors in between. While the members of the AVC are proud to support the Chapter and our Fraternity within these roles, there are many ways for each alumnus to volunteer to shape the organization for the better. Learn more about volunteering with SigEp today by visiting sigep.org/resources/alumni-and-volunteers. Guiding SigEp Forward through Volunteerism Page 3 Ryan Seaver '07 and Ilya Igolnikov '07 Share Their Experiences from CO Alpha's Previous Restart A s a young man in college, Ilya Igolnikov '07 had the remarkable opportunity to join Colorado Alpha during the Chapter's restart. Looking back on that experience and SigEp's impact on his life, Ilya shared his thoughts on the Chapter's current return effort and how alumni can lend a hand. BRINGING SIGEP BACK From the first conversations Ilya had with Matt Glisinski '03, Kevin Strom '04, Chase Dillon '06, and others, he felt a strong connection through the Balanced Man philosophy. Colorado Alpha members went against the traditional Fraternity culture on campus, bonding through their newfound commitment to SigEp. "My role in the previous restart was instrumental for me as a growing young man," Ilya said. He had the chance to fly to leadership academies and even join the Tragos Quest to Greece, where Ilya connected with SigEp brothers and mentors he keeps in touch with today. Occupying various executive roles as an undergraduate, Ilya recognized the responsibilities involved with leading a group. Though hard and sometimes unpopular decisions would occasionally challenge fraternal connections, those lessons taught Ilya much about personal growth and seeing new perspectives. CURRENT RESTART EFFORTS Ilya made countless memories that he enjoyed recounting with brothers on "Starting a Fraternity Chapter is not what anyone thinks it is, but it is an invaluable learning experience." graduation weekend, and he hopes a strong core of new undergraduates can share those same experiences when Colorado Alpha restarts once again. "Get ready for a wild ride," Ilya added. "It's an invaluable learning experience that will try your patience, empathy, and communication skills and leave you with lifelong friends, confidence, and innumerable other skills to jump start your adult life and career." Ilya identified two key factors in restart success: • An undergraduate group willing to break Fraternity stereotypes on campus. • Strong alumni support to ensure a foundation for success. Recognizing the difficulty of ongoing engagement, Ilya challenges local alumni to find small ways to give back by mentoring undergraduates to elevate their SigEp experience. Since returning to Colorado in 2021, Ilya has enjoyed volunteering with Colorado Alpha over the past few years while keeping up with some Chapter brothers and Greece trip attendees. Two groomsmen in Ilya's wedding were fellow Colorado Alpha alumni, with respect to the late Ryan Jenkins '08, who would've been the third. You can chat with Ilya about the restart, or just to catch up, at ilya.igolnikov@gmail.com.

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