Beta Theta Pi - University of Wisconsin

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Joey Hoffmann, #2105, UW 2018 Remains Connected to Beta STRENGTHENING THE BROTHERHOOD I rushed Beta in the fall of 2014, but I had known since I was a kid that I wanted to be a Badger. As a freshman, I thought I'd check out Alpha Pi Chapter because my grandfather, Tom Hoffmann '58, was a Beta at UW and some of his closest friendships started at 622 Mendota Court. There were 13 actives in my class, so with the help of a few guys from the class before us, we started the turnaround of the house to bring it back to the glory days that I'd heard about from my grandfather. Since graduation, in the handful of times I've been back, it seems like Alpha Pi is well on its way—if not fully back—to those glory days. THROUGH THICK AND THIN I graduated in 2018 and did a year of graduate school to get my master's in finance. In the summer of 2019, I moved to Boston and have been working as an analyst at an investment firm called Camber Capital. We invest in the healthcare sector, and it has truly been a great place to work. Having grown up in Wisconsin, moving cross-country to a new city where I knew only a handful of people was a bit daunting. Luckily, Evan Lamberg '17, who was in the fall class before me, was also moving to Boston around the same time, so having a brother in town helped the process. Our Wednesday-night trivia team at the local dive bar hasn't had the best winning record, but we have more fun than every other team there. This summer, Dan Noble '17 joined us in Boston, so while we may not improve on our trivia game, we will have even more fun. When COVID hit, I moved back home to my parents' lake house near Waupaca, Wisconsin, for a period and now spend a lot of time back home. I can confidently say that I'm the only person who has set up a Bloomberg terminal to work on a camo tablecloth from a hunting cabin in Ogdensburg, Wisconsin. When I return to Boston after one of my trips home, a coworker always asks, "What's your stereotypical Wisconsin story from this trip?" It's safe to say I usually have a good one. I think this summer's highlight was the t-shirt cannon that had been converted into a cheese curd launcher at the Manawa Rodeo Parade on Fourth of July weekend—which is only slightly less ridiculous than the squirrel hunt from last winter. You can take the kid out of Wisconsin, but you can't take the Wisconsin out of me. EVERLASTING BONDS I've stayed close with many guys from my era. Between personal and work travel, I'm able to catch up with brothers across the country, whether that's back in Madison or cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, or Austin. This spring, a couple of brothers went down to Austin, Texas, to visit Alec Pearl '19, who recently moved there. A couple guys quickly snowballed into a dozen people packed into a two- bed house for the weekend. The tight sleeping quarters and hungover mornings were reminiscent of a weekend back in Madison. Outside of work, I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible and enjoy running, hiking, boating, hunting, snowmobiling, or finding the rare outdoor patio to have a beer on in Boston. If you ever find yourself in Boston, the Waupaca area, or maybe anywhere else in the country, I'm always happy to catch up. Yours in _kai_, Joey Hoffmann, #2105, UW 2018 joeyhoffmann@gmail.com (414) 232-4392 3 ALPHA PI CHAPTER Being a Part of Something Bigger Why Some of Our New Members Chose Beta "The guys in Beta were super welcoming and friendly from the start, and I instantly knew it was the place for me." –Luc Verard '25 "Beta had fantastic recruitment events, and I wanted to be a part of a community bigger than myself. The people all seemed incredibly close, and I wanted to be a part of something similar." –Waleed Bitar '25 "From the first recruitment event, I knew the Beta guys embodied attributes of the highest quality." –Gavin Reid '25 "I chose Beta because of its welcoming atmosphere and smart people. I felt comfortable being encouraged to do well in school while also making the most of my college experience." –Paul Vallace '25

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