Sigma Chi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

3 W ill completed his undergraduate degree in Industrial and Management Engineering in 2022 and stayed for an additional year, earning his graduate degree in Systems Engineering and Technology Management. Post-graduation, he accepted a job at Sunrise Erectors, a construction company in Massachusetts, where he is working as an assistant project manager for several commercial jobs in the Greater Boston area. Q: What leadership positions did you hold as an undergrad in the chapter and on campus? A: As an undergraduate, I did not hold any positions on campus; however, within the chapter, I was the House Manager twice, a Derby Days chair, Kustos, and participated on several committees planning events like Haunted House or recruitment. As a graduate student, I served as the live-in advisor for the chapter and as a teaching assistant for two courses on campus. Q: What did Sigma Chi offer that helped develop you into a leader? A: Being an active member in the chapter who participated in the planning and organizing of events helped to give me confidence as a leader. Leading events in the chapter helped to teach me how to handle both the successes and failures that come with that role. It is always easiest to manage people and tasks when everything is going well, but it was when things went poorly that I grew the most. I was also able to attend Sigma Chi's workshop in Utah, the Horizons Leadership Summit. While there, we were encouraged to spend a week in deep introspection and discussion on our personal leadership capabilities. We specifically looked into our strengths and weaknesses. This workshop allowed me to clearly identify areas in which I could actively grow as a leader. Putting into practice what I learned at the workshop most effectively showed itself in the manner in which I could inspire others and maintain positive morale amongst a team. Q: After you graduated and entered your career, how were you able to apply what you had learned at Sigma Chi to your role? A: Entering into the construction industry in project management, two of the most important skills are planning and adaptability. In Sigma Chi, I planned many events, and one of the biggest takeaways I always had at the end was that the more upfront work I completed the easier the event would be. It is the same now at work. The more items that can be identified early the easier the fabrication and installation will go. Then as an undergraduate, there were always events that failed to go to plan, and as a team, we would always adapt our focus or change our methods in order to achieve the best possible outcome. This could be something as simple as making a house repair with limited materials or it could have been a failing fundraiser in which we would pivot to a different plan in order to try to make it a success. Within my budding career in project management, there have already been several instances in which we spent months of planning on how we were going to fabricate and install according to the schedule released by our contractor to suddenly have to pivot and change our directives based on an unforeseen and unexpected condition. Q: As an alum, what are you looking forward to hearing about within the chapter as the newest members strive to become leaders of men? A: I look forward to hearing personal stories about an undergraduates' experience at a Sigma Chi workshop and what it meant to them. Additionally, I would love to hear about an event in which an unexpected leader rose to the occasion and turned something that could have failed into a success. Alumni Spotlight Will d'Entremont '22

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