Beta Theta Pi - The Ohio State University

BΘΠ BΘΠ Page 3 What made Beta theta Pi the right Fraternity For you? Dan Grainger '16: I met Brock Griffin, Utah '13 through an on-campus mentor and had lunch with him. His pitch about starting a Fraternity challenged some of the stereotypes I'd held about fraternities, and the idea of helping mold a part of Ohio State's campus was exciting—especially since it seemed to align with my values and interests. Jeff Ruick '17: My dad was in Greek life and really enjoyed it, so I was interested in having a similar but unique experience in college. The opportunity to shape an organization versus joining one that's already established was enticing to me. Between that and making lifelong friends, it was a chance to do something different and have fun. Mike Mosholder '18: I knew I wanted to get involved in something … to find my fit on such a large campus. My older brother, Steve, was also a Beta at Miami (Ohio). Like Jeff and Dan said, I liked the idea of kind of coming in and starting something fresh, having an impact and helping it grow. Beta seemed like the right fit for that. Tommy Weber '20: When I joined, the Fraternity was well established—thanks largely to these three guys and all their hard work. I could tell they were enthusiastic and passionate about what they built. It's like they are the ones who really shaped it. My brother joined Beta at another school, and we also knew David Brennan '53 growing up; he had pretty big impact on my life. Once I got there, seeing what the guys had done before me was a big inspiration. hoW did your undergraduate years in theta delta helP shaPe you into Who you are today? Jeff: It's given me some of my best friends and lots of people I'm still close with (including these three). The leadership experience was great too; those executive meetings aren't too different from running team meetings at work. I think it also gave me some perspective: we spent so much time on building a Fraternity and making rules that we didn't really pause enough to enjoy it. Leadership taught me to try and enjoy the moment more. Mike: Beta provided my friend group too; the people I talk to every day are the friends I made in Theta Delta. With a Fraternity (especially in leadership), you become constantly busy, and you learn to stay organized. Those skills and a work/ life balance are still a big part of my life today. Tommy: Those brothers and friend groups were well rounded in their school and social lives, and they really pushed you to be your best, whether in the classroom or in other goals. There was always something to do with your friends, like intramurals or study. Everyone was trying to improve and be there for each other. Dan: I think what shapes your experience in a Fraternity is the people you meet and the relationship that you have with them. Brothers invested in me, and I invested in them. In addition to the friendships, the mentors in my life are mostly men and women I met through my Fraternity involvement—either as an undergraduate with Beta or through my alumni engagement since then. They're still the people who I call when making big life decisions today. What motivated you to run For ChaPter President? What Were some oF the highlights oF your PresidenCies? Proudest aCComPlishments? Jeff: Being in other Beta leadership positions got me interested in being president—and I ran unopposed, which was pretty helpful! I'm probably proudest of getting through that year with no major issues, and I think we did a good job of moving forward and pushing for our charter—writing the story of Theta Delta and showing the general Fraternity why we deserved to be reinstated. Mike: Being involved since day one of the pledging process (and being vice president the year before), I wanted to see our project all the way through. It was an honor to go to Salt Lake City and lead our rechartering presentation to Betas from all over, furthering the work that Jeff and Dan laid the groundwork for. The success and acceptance speeches afterward were the icing on the cake of my Fraternity experience. Dan: I wanted to leave a legacy and to have a lasting impact on the university, and leading the organization that I had invested in seemed like the best way to do that. For me, there's not a particular moment of my presidency that sticks out—it's more about coming back and seeing the caliber of men who continue to join. Jeff and I attended Roundup this spring, and there were 10 times more people than we ever had at events. Watching the Chapter grow, seeing them move into this big, beautiful Chapter House, and seeing genuinely good men lead the Chapter was proof that all the time I put in was worth it. Tommy: When I ran for president, it was a pretty different scenario: Greek life was going through big changes nationally with new rules and regulations. I knew it would be a challenge and felt like I was the right person to face it head-on. It was stressful at times, but the payoff of winning Beta's Risk Management Award was pretty nice (and wouldn't have been possible without Risk Managers Grant Packo '20 and Jack Behmke '20). What are you doing noW ProFessionally? hoW, iF at all, did your Fraternity exPerienCe imPaCt your Career Path? Mike: I'm a corporate attorney at a law firm in Cleveland. I think Beta taught me about working with a variety of people, from the Alumni Association to Beta headquarters and people around Ohio State. Project management is important in my job as well, and being president was my first exposure to managing lots of moving parts. Jeff: I do business development at JPMorgan Chase here in Columbus. Professionally, Beta taught me how your presence and actions affect how others perceive you. As president, you learn how to convey confidence and to be decisive to gain buy-in. Those lessons are a big part of career advancement and have made me much better at my job. Dan: I'm an account manager for a Medallia, which is a customer experience and market research software service company that's based in San Francisco. I can attribute every job since college directly to my Beta experience. My first job out of college was working for the Fraternity, and my next job was offered through a connection I made with a Beta Theta Pi board member. My current job came from a connection I made at the previous one—where both of us were reporting to a former Fraternity executive director. My entire career path has been shaped by the people I've met through my Beta experience. Beta also taught me about holding myself, as well as those I love and respect, to a high standard. Tommy: I work in public accounting for Ernst and Young, living in Austin, Texas. I gained a lot of confidence talking to important Fraternity and university individuals as president. So when I'm talking to the partners on my teams or directors of clients, I'm not necessarily as intimidated as I would be without those experiences I had as an undergraduate. My presidency also taught me that you can't please everybody; I just had to commit to the decisions I thought were right. anything else you'd like to add? Tommy: Stay in contact with your friends from Beta any way you can—I do in countless ways. One brother (who I won't call out here) and I agreed that if the Cleveland Browns ever play a game in Vegas, we're going no matter what. The relationships you built in college are pretty special—keep them going whenever you can. Dan: At Roundup, Jeff and I were talking about how it's been eight years since our initiation— and our best friends in the world are still guys we met through Beta. Take the time and invest in people there, because they'll be some of your closest friends throughout your life. Jeff: Yep. If you move apart—or even if you move across the street from the other one, like Dan and me. You can reach Dan at danieltgrainger@gmail.com, Jeff at ruickj@gmail.com, Mike at mmosholder3@gmail.com, and Tommy at taweber909@gmail.com. RESHAPING THETA DELTA Four Recent Chapter Presidents Discuss Beta's Impact on Their Lives This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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