Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

Page 4 SigEp Gator Heart Dedicated to Service WILL MUNRO '24 ON HIS UF HALL OF FAME INDUCTION M y name is Will Munro '24, and I am a fourth-year, pre-law student from Denver, Colorado. After someone learns that about me, they always ask, "Why Florida?" I answer, "It's because my dad and uncle went to UF and I grew up cheering for the Gators." What I leave out is how difficult that transition was. As an out-of-state student more than 1,400 miles from home, it was difficult to find community my first year, especially during online classes due to COVID. The isolation and detachment I felt from the school I grew up loving was challenging, to say the least. Finding Brotherhood This all changed during a cold Tuesday night in January 2021, when I received a bid card. I was beyond excited to join Sigma Phi Epsilon, the Chapter with the highest GPA on campus, the Chapter of the year, and a place where I immediately felt at home. For the first time since starting at UF, I felt a part of a community and found a group of more than 150 new brothers. My SigEp brothers have encouraged me to grow and achieve more and have been my closest friends and best supporters. On campus, I have been involved in organizations like Student Government, Florida Cicerones, and Florida Blue Key. In each experience, brothers pushed me to grow and build leadership skills. Zach Karpinski '22 sent me an invitation to apply for Cicerones, an organization I cannot imagine my UF experience without. Parker Rossignol '24 encouraged me to apply for Student Government Cabinet and Keystone Florida, a program where I now serve as director. Special Olympics Engagement The involvement that has taken the most of my time and dedication has been Special Olympics College. This on-campus organization connects UF students and Alachua County Special Olympics athletes, who are individuals with intellectual disabilities. The leadership team I helped create, organize, and lead has grown the club from serving about 40 students and athletes in my first year to more than 300. When people ask, "How did you do that?," I describe tabling and partnering with on-campus organizations—the chief among them my brothers. Brothers have served on our executive board, as unified partners on our teams, and as coaches. Brothers consistently support our organization by sending time, money, and participants to our annual Race for Inclusion 5K walk/run, our biggest annual fundraiser. In my year serving as director of Chapter excellence, then-Chapter Presidents Evan Savage '22 and Austin Wendling '23 encouraged me to involve SigEp in Special Olympics. I remember speaking in front of brothers as a sophomore about what the organization means to me and feeling a wave of support. They immediately became involved in this organization I am so passionate about, and I credit Sigma Phi Epsilon with our growth into one of the larger service organizations on campus. UF Recognition With Special Olympics, I have participated in the USA Games in Orlando and the World Games in Berlin, Germany. Through these experiences, brothers shared our teams' stories and always checked up on how the competitions were going. I was asked to write how SigEp contributed to my on-campus success and my recognition as a member of the University of Florida Hall of Fame Class of 2024. I mentioned earlier that I couldn't have imagined my UF experience without Florida Cicerones, but none of my experiences would have been possible without a bid card in January 2021. Brother Carson Boogaart '23, thank you for extending me that invitation to the brotherhood that made a freshman from Denver so welcome. Thank you to all my brothers for your support, kindness, and friendship over these past four years. HFF, Will Munro '24 CHAPTER OFFICERS President Jack Pagan '26 president@floridasigep.com Vice President of Programming Gabe Federighi '26 Vice President of Finance Andrew Aljouny '26 Vice President of Recruitment Sam Grant '26 recruitment@floridasigep.com Vice President of Member Development Jackson Grieser '25 Vice President of Communications Graham Oldershaw '25 Vice President of SigEp Learning Community Ryan Dunavant '26 Chaplain Danny Kelley '25 Director of Alumni Relations Parker Rossignol '24 Director of Chapter Excellence Justin Dario '27

• Cover