Sigma Phi Epsilon - Florida International University

the Florida nus page 2 I f you had asked second grader Jose Proveyer '99 what he wanted to do when he grew up, he likely would have told you, "I wanna be a cop." Nearly 25 years later he would make his elementary school dream come true. The real turning point for Jose's ambition to work in a homicide unit was solidified during his first ride-along with the Hialeah Police Department as a freshman in college. He recalls, "That evening, I was exposed to the ever-changing working environment and exhilarating career it entailed. There was a homicide my very first evening, and I had the opportunity to be hands on, in the middle of it all." Prior to his recent promotion of lieutenant, Jose was the sergeant in charge of the homicide unit. He now works as the shift commander in charge of the uniform patrol division on the midnight shift. On any given night, Jose has five sergeants and 25 officers under his command and is solely responsible for all law enforcement incidents that may arise. The most rewarding part of his job he says "is being fortunate enough to have worked in the homicide unit, solving the murders of those victims whose voices are silenced forever." When Jose isn't solving crimes, you can find him with his wife, Shanna, and daughters, Angelica and Rebecca. E-mail: sigeppep@aol.com F rom Washington, D.C., to Miami and the Keys, Special Agent Alex Zarut '03 has worked across the country, conducting investigations for the Department of Homeland Security. The challenges Alex says he's presented with in his line of work have kept him immersed in his career for 12 years. The connections he made as a Sigma Phi Epsilon at Florida International University have extended even beyond his FL NU brothers, as he's found himself meeting SigEp alumni all over the United States through his assignments. He's grateful to have such deeply rooted bonds and admits, "It's great having that instant connection with someone as soon as you find out they're a SigEp." Alex credits his college internship for what really opened the door to his career. He urges undergraduates to take advantage of the opportunities they're presented with. "Enjoy your college years, but get the most out of it. It's not just the parties, but the opportunities to be a leader and get quality experience. SigEp and the university both offer so many programs to get involved in." Alex was quite active as an undergraduate himself and reminisces about his time spent working at FIU's Volunteer Action Center, serving as a peer advisor, playing intramural sports, leading alternative spring break trips, participating in Dance Marathon, attending national conventions, and countless others. Alex and his wife, Christy, who is a second grade teacher, are kept busy by their three very active children, who all are avid young athletes. E-mail: alexzarut@yahoo.com A lthough Ralph Perez '08 says he has always known he would end up in the military, the devastating events that took place on September 11, 2001, are what really reinforced his decision. "Watching so many people hurt and suffer that day made me realize I wanted to do my part in defending the country and defending our freedom." Serving as a role model to Ralph since his middle school days was baseball legend Lou Gehrig. "He was kind to others, he was humble, and he was a hard worker; the kind to come in to practice early and be the last to leave." This, he says, is the kind of person he strives to be every day with the help of family and SigEp brothers. "Our process of growing together and individually through the Balanced Man program and the Sigma, Phi, and Epsilon stages enhanced my ability to work hard, work well with others, and to always give that extra 10%." Ralph is confident he has uncovered the secret to success in his time as a Marine, which he believes to be hard work and selflessness. Ralph attributes the baseline of skills he utilized in his professional life to his time in Florida Nu. "You learn a lot about yourself when you leave a military base not knowing what could happen to you. I had an amazing support system." He urges active Florida Nu brothers to not "take college for granted; don't take SigEp and your experiences in SigEp for granted. If you ever deploy, your happy place will be your past experiences. During my first deployment, most of my past experiences were my times with my fraternity brothers and the times we shared on and off campus." When he isn't working, engaging in CrossFit competitions, or playing sports, Ralph enjoys the company of his family and longtime girlfriend, Ashley Vasquez. E-mail: ralphperezv@ gmail.com Florida Nus in Uniform Marine Corps aCtive reserve ralph perez '08 speCial agent alex zarut '03 lieutenant Jose "pep" proveyer '99 From left: Robert Perez '94, Ben Sardinas '90, Jose Proveyer '99, Ralph Puente '00 and Fran Oses '93.

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