Theta Xi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

www.alpha6294.com Theta xi A s a commander in Vietnam, Bob Nilsson '63 (A984) brought many wounded soldiers back from the field for medical care. Eventually, he broke his leg and was later sent to Brooklyn among 1,000 other wounded soldiers. "Very few people came to visit," he recalls. When the Iraq War began, Bob was concerned about all the wounded soldiers and began visiting them in Bethesda. is led to raising money for scholarships and giving recovering veterans jobs at his business, Turner Construction. Bob later founded the 100 Entrepreneurs Project, a nonprofit that teaches entrepreneurship to veterans and their caregivers and helps them start their own businesses. He says participants have gone on to write books and start many forms of business, from construction companies to farms, camps for wounded veterans, and even prosthetics and 3D printing businesses. "We plant the seed in their minds by having speakers talk about their business experience, and we create a network where they exchange ideas and thoughts with one another," he explained. e organization has transitioned largely to Zoom events during the pandemic. "Veterans who come back are dealing with a lot," Bob said, "especially when they're injured and wounded. When I told them I'd been in the Marine Corps, they tried to get out of bed and shake my hand; they wanted to talk to someone who understands what they've been through. Many come from dysfunctional homes where the military was the first stable thing in their life, so it's frightening when they have to leave. e return to civilian life is bothersome and they need someone who has made the jump to help them out." Bob is honored to help provide a sounding board and network for these service members, and the organization is proud to report extremely low rates of depression and suicide in its 18 years. "When these people are enthusiastic about doing something, it makes a big difference in their mental health. Vets love helping each other; it's very important." ese efforts led to Bob receiving the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in 2019. e society is composed of previous award recipients, and Bob was honored to join them. "What I was doing was very low-key, but some visiting veterans were Medal of Honor recipients and decided I should receive this honor," he explained. "I was doing something I loved doing, but this award was very rewarding and felt good." Bob accepted the award at a small event that included family members, Walter Reed staff, and several wounded veterans he had worked with. During Bob's time as president and CEO of Turner International, the business helped build what were once five of the 10 largest buildings in the world, in locations including Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. Aer his retirement, they completed a 160-story building in Dubai. To Bob, the most remarkable part of the business is taking their technology and spreading it around the world with local partners. "ey take what we've done and improve on it." Bob arrived at RPI as the first in his family to attend college. He met eta Xi brothers and was impressed with the various leadership roles they held on campus, thrilled to join them. Looking back, Bob feels he got as much (if not more) from the brotherhood as he did from his engineering classes. "eta Xi taught me about myself and helped me mature." is proved to be a great combination with Bob's military service. "e impact of the Marine Corps is a change that you don't realize is happening at first," he explained. "It creates a self-confidence that is pretty remarkable. e impact lasts a lifetime." His eta Xi brothers have also been enthusiastic supporters and donors to the 100 Entrepreneurs Project, advocating for the organization and with 3 brothers matching donations from others; the group of brothers donated $25,000 in honor of Bob's efforts. Bob is honored to be a eta Xi alumnus and has loved connecting with Alpha Chapter over the years. In 2019, he attended an era reunion organized by Kenny Wilson '63 (A973); the brothers look forward to doing it again this summer. "So many of these guys have been successful in medicine, teaching, and business—even made trips to the moon!" Bob observed. "I never would've guessed the diversity of what we all pursued and the success we achieved. All of us say it's because RPI taught us how to think." Bob hopes to see Greek life continue to thrive as the pandemic ends. To learn more about the 100 Entrepreneurs Project, visit www.100entrepreneurs.org. Bob can be reached at robertn802@mac.com. Assisting Our Brothers in Arms Bob Nilsson '63 (A984) Helps Fellow Veterans Find eir Path Welcome, New Members! Rocco Cirilli '24 (A1780) • Simsbury, Conn. Ethan Critchlow '23 (A1775) • Pittsburgh, Pa. Steven Hepensteil '24 (A1779) • Wilton, Conn. Paul Kratsios '24 (A1778) • Manhattan, N.Y. Brett Miller '24 (A1781) • Wallingford, Pa. Mike O'Keefe '23 (A1777) • Jackson, N.J. Charlie Stanton '23 (A1776) • Greenwich, Conn.

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