Sigma Chi - University of Texas

A TrAdiTioN To Build upoN G oing through recruitment in 2011, Matthew Johnson '15 was connected to Sigma Chi through a trusted family friend. Matt felt that the active brothers of Alpha Nu Chapter were some of the most authentic guys he'd ever met. "Right off the bat I felt connected with both the undergraduates and alumni," Matt said. "They were genuine guys who I wanted to be like." Matt says that what he learned as a member of Alpha Nu is just as important, if not more, than his academics at Texas. "Sigma Chi helped develop my character and leadership ability," Matt said. "The lessons I learned with my brothers were a lot more impactful than classes." As an active member, Matt served as Consul and Magister and helped with several committees. It was through these shared lessons that Matt made so many lifelong friends with whom he shares countless special memories. From football game road trips to Chapter meetings and just hanging out at the house on the weekends, Matt and his brothers built bonds that would last forever. "Chapter meetings were some of the best memories because of the stories guys would tell," said Matt. "Some of my fondest memories of college are remembering the roar of laughter that would come from those meetings." It wasn't all jokes though; Matt and his brothers also supported each other in their faith. Matt saw the impact that faith had on his brothers and decided to get involved with a college ministry once faith clicked for him his freshman year. The college ministry had strong representation throughout Greek life at Texas, and through his involvement Matt knew he wanted to continue helping others with their faith after graduation. He graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2015 and immediately went to work with the ministry for the next five years. After his time with the ministry, Matt transitioned to working in real estate development with Endeavor Real Estate Group in early 2020. "I'm thankful to my fraternity brothers who were already working in the real estate business who have helped me make the work transition," Matt said. He is happy to be staying in Austin and looks forward to continuing his role as an alumni relations advisor once the COVID-19 pandemic clears up. Linden Welsch '69, Lucian Morehead '94, and John Bibo '74 were all influential in Matt's decision to stay connected and involved with Sigma Chi as an alumnus. Lately, Matt has been doing a lot of sitting at home thanks to COVID-19. However, under normal circumstances he loves going to church, traveling, playing golf and basketball, and keeping up with Longhorn athletics and his beloved Los Angeles Chargers. Matt also reigns as the seemingly perennial champion of his pledge brothers' fantasy football league, so if you need any roster advice be sure to reach out. Matt can be emailed at matthew.johnson@utexas.edu. Remaining Connected to Faith and Brotherhood Matthew Johnson '15 on the Impact Sigma Chi Had on His Personal and Professional Life I am honored to serve as Consul of Alpha Nu for the 2020 calendar year; the road ahead appears bright with unlimited potential to both grow the Chapter and develop our young men. This past year, Alpha Nu proved its resilience, navigating through a membership review and the vacating of our house in preparation for construction. Yet, in these hard times, we still managed to not only survive, but to succeed. 2020 will be a year of building on the momentum of previous successes while learning from our failures. As construction begins on our new Chapter House, both active brothers and alumni alike remain committed to improving the organization which has given all of us so much, both through the undergraduate years and beyond. We plan to further expand and promote our stellar philanthropic efforts; this semester we received a new hero from the B+ Foundation, Kevin, who was recently diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. We have enjoyed getting to know Kevin and his family and look forward to helping him through his medical procedures. Though our semester was cut short due to COVID-19, we are continuing our efforts in raising money for the B+ Foundation and Kevin. In the fall, we will host our annual Fight Night, which raises money for both the B+ Foundation and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Additionally, we plan on maintaining our involvement with Wooldridge Elementary School, who awarded our Chapter Partner of the Year for 2018-19. During the 2019 year, our Chapter placed an incredible emphasis on mental health awareness; former Consul Matthew Favre '20 co-created the Greek Mental Health Ambassador Program. Alpha Nu Advances Mental Health Care Brothers Dedicated to Bettering ΣX Moe Salas '18, Charlie Menton '21, Kevin Langley '20, and Ryan Shirley '21 at the Austin Stone for Charlie's baptism. Patrick Fanning '20 and Matthew Favre '20 at the finish line of the Austin Marathon. This year, Matthew ran the marathon, while Patrick ran last year. (Continued on page 4)

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