Theta Chi - Iowa State University

THE TOMAHAWK 2 Alpha Mu Chapter T he journey to NASA was an unusual one for Brian Banker '08, in the sense that he never aspired to it as a kid—something cool, but not in the cards for him� "It just wasn't something that kids from Iowa do, or so I thought," he said� "But I'm always looking to challenge myself and do something that can make the world a little bit better� I still can't think of a better place than NASA to do that, so I've been here ever since I graduated�" Brian likens working at NASA to something he's heard from rookie NFL quarterbacks: that their biggest first-season goal is to "slow the game down" because the game moves much faster than in college� "Everyone at NASA is so smart and talented, and everything is so intertwined and complicated that it can be intimidating at first," Brian explained� Over time, he's learned to break down a problem into many small pieces and keep teams communicating in the right direction� "Throw in tight budgets and aggressive schedules, plus contract negotiations and the fact that your mission could change with the political winds in Washington, D�C�, and you've got rocket science�" The job also reminds Brian of his Theta Chi experience; people in organizations are fallible and don't always live up to the initial, romantic vision we create� "That breaks your heart a little, but then you realize everyone is learning and trying their hardest—and you can't ask for anything more than that� That's when you become more endeared to the organization�" Brian's path to Theta Chi was unusual as well: he joined his sophomore year after getting to know some members through his roommate, Michael Christy '07� He later accepted a bid, hoping to find what he felt was lacking from his college life. "It felt like a big risk, and I was uneasy about my decision right up until the day I moved in," he said� "My eventual big brother, Matt Breton '05, greeted me at the door, and that's when I knew I made the right decision. That first semester in the chapter house is probably the most fun I've ever had�" Brian became scholarship chairman, house manager, and president at Alpha Mu, which each taught him invaluable life lessons� Though he made a lot of mistakes, those became teachable moments that gave him a competitive advantage in life� TRYING OUR HARDEST, TOGETHER Brian Banker '08 Shares His Path from Managing a Fraternity to Building Spacecraft Brian shows off the Seeker prototype inspector vehicle. "IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE" MANY SMALL PIECES

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