Alpha Delta Phi - University of Michigan

the peninsular | 3 A lpha Delta Phi gave Sam DeBruin '12 a crucial value in college: confidence. Confidence in public speaking, that he had value, and that he could take on new challenges and succeed. All of this came from the people who surrounded him in the Peninsular chapter house. Becoming recruitment chairman as a sophomore was the first time Sam explicitly acted as a leader and role model to younger peers. He believes this made him a good leader and mentor in his career as well as in his time with the Peninsular Society. "Frankly, it probably helped me be a better father too," he added. "And it was extremely rewarding to interact on the alumni board with people I had helped rush—seeing them continue to give back to the organization so long after joining." Much like his choice to become a brother, Sam couldn't help but feel drawn to the members on the board. Alumni like John Hartwig '67, Art Nicholas '85, Sean O'Leary '91, and especially Jason Sparks '02 drew many brothers into that orbit, and Sam saw in them an infectious passion for ADPhi. "I never anticipated staying on the board so long, let alone serving as its president for several years. I just saw them doing something meaningful to an organization that I cared about and knew I wanted to be involved." As Sam steps down from the board, he hopes that its members, and the chapter and alumni in general, continue to draw in people who are passionate about the brotherhood—and what it provides to its members and the broader community. "Opportunities and challenges will continue to arise, likely many that we can't even anticipate or imagine now. But I know that if Peninsular continues to attract high-quality people who care about work worth doing, the chapter will continue to thrive." The overwhelming majority of Sam's best friends are men he met at ADPhi. The brothers have stood up in one another's weddings, been there for the birth of friends' children, and helped one another through hard times. Sam is grateful that the Peninsular Society expanded his ADPhi friendships among even more generations. "In ways both direct and indirect, I credit my time in ADPhi with almost everything that I love about my life right now," he said. "I have cherished relationships with friends, I lead a team at work with confidence and empathy, and I have a wonderful home life with my wife and daughter. I can't imagine who I would be if I hadn't had those experiences both during college and as part of the board after." Sam lives in Dexter, Michigan, and can be reached at sam.g.debruin@gmail.com. THANK YOU, LOYAL ALUMNI Peninsular Society Succeeds with You W e are grateful to our brothers for funding events and assisting Peninsular. Whether you're a young graduate or longtime alumnus, every gift makes an impact. To continue or renew your support, please consider a donation at adphiannualgiving.causevox.com. Legacy Founders ($100 Monthly/ $1,200+ Annually) Daniel Binder '85 Arthur Nicholas '85 Crescent Level ($50 Monthly/ $600 Annually) Christopher Cornwall '85 Steven Kibler '85 Jon Bowerman '03 Star Level ($25 Monthly/ $300 Annually) Roy Sjoberg '60 Thomas Eastwood '64 Paul Burstadt '68 John Sirrine '68 Peter Lund '04 Samuel DeBruin '12 Trevor Grantham '14 Young Alumni Level ($15 Monthly/ $180 Annually) Lawrence H. Brown '56 Patrick McEvoy '57 Garald McLellan '60 Edward Michael '67 John Burpee '69 Deepak Dashairya '01 Mitchell Bieniek '16 Dean Melonides '21 If an error has been made in recording your gift, or your name has been mistakenly omitted or listed improperly, we sincerely apologize. Please advise our campaign coordinator at (785) 843-1661 so that we may make a correction. Thank you again for your support! SCAN ME! John Axe '60 lives in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. He is still working and serves on the boards of the Clements Library, Michigan History Foundation, and National Association of Bond Lawyers. Email: jaxe@kirkhuthlaw.com John Runyan Jr. '69 is retired from the practice of law after more than 50 years. He continues to serve as an arbitrator in employment and consumer arbitration cases and supervises publication of the Michigan Bar Journal. He lives in Lathrup Village, Mich. Email: johnrrunyan@gmail.com Tom Hlaing '94 finished his Ph.D. in pathology at the University of Michigan in 2002. After 9/11, Tom shifted his career into corporate security. He lives in Rockville, Md., and works in IT cybersecurity and as an unofficial (civilian) biomedical responder. Email: tommyhlaing@aol.com Gregg Whitmore '00 is an associate professor at Cal State Fullerton and a member of the Pacific Symphony. He lives in Anaheim, Calif. Email: whitmoregregg@ yahoo.com Alumni News Work Worth Doing SAM DEBRUIN '12 ON YEARS OF ALUMNI SERVICE

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