Alpha Tau Omega - Iowa State University

O lder students face a unique challenge when arriving on a college campus. Rolf Hansen '74 found himself out on his own after graduating high school, and before his time at Iowa State University, he spent years traveling and working. "I needed somewhere to live on campus and thought this might be a solution. The ATΩ house was small, and the vibe I got from the guys in the house attracted me immediately." Alpha Tau Omega offered Rolf a sense of family he'd never had before. No matter how many classes he took in a semester or how much time he spent working while studying, chapter brothers always supported him. "I don't think I did a very good job as worthy chaplain, but ATΩ had my back anyway," Rolf said. "Their encouragement to keep trying and to learn from failure was a life lesson I never forgot." Rolf left Iowa State but later graduated from another institution with a degree in electrical engineering. Shortly after graduating, he held the position of field service engineer, then later senior service engineer at a large, international research instrumentation manufacturer. Rolf wanted to relocate back to Iowa, and fortunately brother Rick Flatt '76 offered him a role on the Sleepy Hollow Sports Park project in Des Moines. "I moved back to Iowa, then had an opportunity to work for Iowa State. I retired in 2019 as teaching lab coordinator, where I oversaw all undergraduate student labs in the Physics Department. I was fortunate to get the position." Rolf also served on the ATΩ Corporation Board and discovered a passion for working with young people. After joining the board in the late 1970s, Rolf met with fellow members to discuss chapter house issues and business operations related to the chapter. Though he resigned in 1980 after moving to Chicago, he rejoined the Board of Trustees two decades later. "It was a very powerful tool to benefit the active chapter," he said. "It became more difficult to find local alumni to serve, but a shift to online meetings helped bring in new alumni outside of Iowa. The board has never been stronger. I was honored to serve for almost 30 years, and the current board has graciously allowed me to continue attending meetings as a non- voting member." The active chapter is in good hands, according to Rolf. "They are recruiting quality men, the chapter GPA has never been higher, and they are on a run of consecutive True Merit awards," he shared. "Alumni help the active chapter stay grounded. As they become more and more successful, it's important for alumni to remind those men that there will be hard times. How we deal with those hard times will make us stronger." Though Rolf was older than most of his recruitment class, he battled the same insecurities and felt uncomfortable at times. He is thankful that ATΩ broke him out of his shell and aided him in becoming the man he is today. After retiring from a position that required the leadership and communication skills he gained through ATΩ, he now spends time with his wife, Marla, and his stepson, who also lives in Ames. Rolf is an avid golfer, and he enjoys visiting his brother in Scotland to play in the home of golf. You can connect with Rolf at another3putt@gmail.com. PAGE 2 TAU TALK Ben Baca '18 Major: Finance Plans: Moving to Austin, Texas, to be an associate consultant for Oracle NetSuite. Jake Baffa '18 Major: Industrial Engineering Plans: Accepted a position at Kiewit Construction. Jason Bawick '19 Major: Management Plans: Work in the management industry. Daniel Boehm '18 Major: Supply Chain Management Plans: Work at Land O'Lakes. Ryan Clancy '18 Major: Supply Chain Management Plans: Work in Des Moines as a project management consultant at Turnberry Solutions. Tyler Cooney '18 Major: Advertising Plans: Move to the Virgin Islands to take a gap year and work before joining an advertising or media firm stateside. Devin Creger '19 Major: Marketing Plans: Accepted a job offer to be a property manager of a 300-unit apartment complex. Tanner Erickson '19 Major: Management Information Systems Plans: Full-time job as a technology consultant with RSM in Des Moines. Drew Faust '18 Major: Marketing and Management Plans: Work as an insurance adjuster at Grinnell Mutual. Caden Flodstrom '18 Major: Finance Plans: Work in consulting at Ernst & Young. Grant Frieh '19 Major: Supply Chain Management and Marketing Plans: Associate consultant for Alliant Group in Houston, Texas. Ryan Jirik '18 Major: Supply Chain Management Plans: Work in Chicago with Arrive Logistics as a carrier sales associate. Carter Johnson '19 Major: Criminal Justice, Minor in General Business Plans: Move to Des Moines for work. Griffin Kelly '18 Major: Elementary Education Plans: Work in elementary education. Carson Louscher '18 Major: Marketing Plans: Get a job in marketing. Max Merriott '19 Major: Communications Plans: Go into the sales and recruitment world. Patrick Miller '18 Major: Industrial Engineering Plans: Working as an MBA intern in continuous improvement for Vertiv. Will Mitchell '18 Major: Construction Engineer Plan: Work for Weitz as a project engineer in Des Moines. Zachary Nugent '18 Major: Supply Chain Management Plans: Work in the supply chain management industry. Brett Peterson '18 Major: Industrial Engineering Plans: Look for employment in the engineering field. Alex Rejda '20 Major: Finance Plans: Move to Des Moines. Zane Sheetz '18 Major: Criminal Justice and Sociology Plans: Move to Arizona to find a job. Jacob Splitt '18 Major: Management Information Systems, Minor in Business Analytics Plans: Work in data analytics. Mason Suckow '19 Major: Marketing/Management Plans: Work in the marketing and management field. Casey Van Kirk '19 Major: Animal Science and Chemistry Plans: Explore animal science and all it has to offer. Congratulations, Graduating Seniors "Their encouragement to keep trying and to learn from failure was a life lesson I never forgot" Finding a Home in AT Rolf Hansen '74 Discovered Himself through Brotherhood Bonds

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