2
The BUTTs Abroad Program and
the Power of Possibility
F
or Will McCollum '05, studying abroad
is an invaluable experience one can use
throughout their life. After first studying
abroad in England as an undergraduate and
then traveling to Costa Rica, Switzerland, and
later China, he decided to help Beta Theta Pi
brothers have their own enriching experiences
in other countries. Will created the McCollum
Scholarship for Studying Abroad, informally
known as "BUTTs Abroad."
To him, these experiences were life
changing, and Will believes being open to
new experiences is important for everyone
for the sake of their own lives.
"It's not about skipping a semester—Kansas
football and basketball will still be there,"
Will said. "Time as a sophomore, junior, or
even senior is precious and having the opportunity to travel abroad
and have these experiences is part of that. Brothers can now bring
that back to the Beta house for themselves and to enrich the chapter
as a whole."
Will ties the founding of this scholarship back to his own
experience as an undergraduate. "The more one can bring to the
mosaic of the Beta house with these experiences, the stronger it
becomes," he said.
During graduate school, Will studied abroad in China because he
was curious about the culture and economy. He soon found that
China was not a good fit for him; however, if he hadn't put himself
out there, he wouldn't have had that experience and the insights
that came from it.
For a while, Will believed he was going to
have a career in green energy. He soon found
that was not his path, but putting himself out
there opened a world of opportunities; he
soon found himself as the general manager of
one of Uber's major worldwide markets.
"If I didn't take chances and if I wouldn't
have been so open, I would still be in
a cubicle, worrying about oil and gas
contracts," he reflects. "There's nothing
wrong with that whatsoever, but in
retrospect, that's not me at all."
"With 'the power of no,' I can check that
off my list and unlock a much deeper 'yes.'
That's—in a roundabout way—one of the
ways I ended up at Uber, which was the
best fit for who I was at that time. It was an
opportunity of a lifetime."
Not only did Will work for Uber, but he also worked at Amazon
and has become an Angel Investor in tech startups. Because he
opened himself up to possibilities, he and his friends have been able
to pursue a passion project by creating a business in a ski town.
He is proud to continue his education and went back to school for
a venture capital program at Stanford University. This fall, he is
participating in a portfolio investment and management program at
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Will hopes that everyone pursues their interests, both personally
and professionally, so that one day, they can contribute that
magic back to the Alpha Nu house as alumni. Email Will at
willmccollum@gmail.com.
HOW STUDYING ABROAD SHAPED WILL MCCOLLUM '05
President
Jake Hiss '23
president.alphanu.btp@gmail.com
Vice President
Jack Anderson '23
jackfa312@gmail.com
Pledge Trainer
Matthew Connor '23
matthewc2325@gmail.com
Vice President of
External Affairs
Taevheon Alcorn '23
taevheona@gmail.com
Treasurer
Luke Rottinghaus '24
luke.r.rottinghaus@gmail.com
Social Chairmen
Ben Whittaker '23
bentwhittaker00@gmail.com
Nick Eilts '24
nick.c.eilts@gmail.com
Risk Management
Jackson Glynn '23
House Manager
Luke Dunlap '23
Director of Cleaning
Jack Bowersox '24
Rush Chairmen
Will Muehlebach '23
recruitment.kansasbeta@gmail.com
Bobby Ahern '23
recruitment.kansasbeta@gmail.com
Tate Bostwick '23
recruitment.kansasbeta@gmail.com
Scholarship Chairman
Adam Jolles '24
adamjolles8@gmail.com
Secretary
Spencer Roehll '24
sroehll@comcast.net
Keeper of Customs and Traditions
Chris Stillman '24
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