Sigma Chi - University of Memphis

2 The WISE OLD OWL W hen Keith Carver '92 moved from a small town in rural West Tennessee to Memphis, he didn't have any famil- iar faces to great him when he began college at Memphis State. His ini- tial hope was to have the opportu- nity to connect with other men who would push him to be better when he pledged Sigma Chi. Keith found an incredible kinship with his new broth- ers who established a deep-rooted impact on him. "Among those were my Big Brother, Tim Brinkmann '92, our Consul, Chris Boysen '90, and my Magister, Bob Ervolina '92." Alan Akil '91 and Eddie Gavin '93 were great influencers for Keith as well. Along with the bonds that Keith found with Sigma Chi, he shares he also had the support of dedicated professors and mentors to guide him through college. "I really struggled as a freshman at Memphis State. I was a first- generation college student and wasn't prepared for the rigors of college study." Looking back, Keith recalls the people he had in his corner and is thankful they pointed him in the right direction. Keith confesses he always had an interest in higher education. During his senior year of college, Keith found there were opportunities to obtain a master's degree and a Ph.D. in teaching and it appealed to him. "After graduating from Memphis, I enrolled in a master's program at UT Knox- ville and started working there while getting my degree." His association with UT began in the fall of 1993 and he has been hooked ever since. Keith has worked at the college campuses in Knoxville, Memphis Health Sci- ence Center, and Martin for the University of Tennessee. "It's been a long road and lots of hard work, but I've never felt like I've had a real 'job' in my career. It's been fun." Keith is passionate about the students he works with and makes it his goal to help as many students succeed in college as possible. Keith's devotion to education and students was recognized when he was elected as the Chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin in January of 2017. As a word of advice, Keith urges undergraduates and young alumni to fo- cus on their first job and push themselves to work their hardest while they are there. He says picturing your dream job is a good way to keep an eye on the future, but remember you have to work hard and long to get there. "Remember that you can learn from every job opportunity and look for role models and mentors to help you along the way. Be the employee that others can trust. Take work off your boss's desk. Be the guy who does the 'little things' that no one else wants to do." Keith shares skills learned through Sigma Chi as an undergraduate with his students. "Sigma Chi taught me how to work with others who weren't like me. Most importantly, it taught me how to be accountable for my actions." The top memory Keith has from his days at Memphis State is the day he met his wife, Hollianne. Keith shares that he would love to relive the epic band parties at the house filled with late '80s and '90s music, March Mad- ness, and the everyday brotherhood moments. Now that Keith and Hollianne have relocated to the West Tennessee area, Keith plans to attend MidSouth Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter events. He also plans to stop by the chapter house to check in with the undergraduates and remind them that help is always available to them. Keith and wife of 24 years, Hollianne, have three children: Carson, a sophomore in college, and two boys, Jack Thomas and Britton. When not spending time with his family, Keith enjoys fishing and running, com- peting in several road races each year. His children are active in sports and Keith enjoys watching them play. Reconnect with Keith via email at kcarver1970@gmail.com. UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver '92 Reflects on Benefits of SC Brotherhood Learning to Teach Through Sigma Chi MidSouth Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter Recognized by Fraternity (Continued on page 4) MidSouth Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter at the Great Sig Shootout, raising funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 2 018 turned out to be a banner year for the MidSouth Sigma Chi Alumni group, highlighted by a membership of over 100 brothers, representing 13 chapters from around the nation. In addition to enjoying fellowship and brotherhood, we raised $1,100 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at The Great Sig Shootout, donated volunteer hours to Manna House, and held our Holiday Social and Toy Drive at Brookhaven Pub where over 40 attend- ees collected 60 toys for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis. JOIN YOUR BROTHERS FOR THIRD THURSDAYS Big News The group's charter as an official Alumni Chap- ter has been recognized and approved by the fraternity. We will now enjoy the full benefits of having our status promoted from an Asso- ciation to a Chapter. The good news came just days before our annual general meeting where over 30 brothers came together, discussed suc- cesses and future opportunities, elected new of- ficers, and formally thanked outgoing President Jamie Russell '02 and Vice President Andrew Ruhland '99 for their tremendous service in the founding of the Chapter.

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