Greek life: University professional fraternity develops ‘business leaders’

 

Written by: Tapkannia Keoun / Contributing Writer

The term ‘fraternity’ is most commonly denoted with the perception of male brotherhood; however, at its core is the element of opportunity and friendship. One fraternity that exemplifies these elements is Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed fraternity specializing in the area of business.

Alpha Kappa Psi is the earliest established professional business fraternity and possess the largest membership overall among business fraternities. The FIU Chapter, Xi Sigma, currently has 140 members to date.

In contrast to service fraternities, whose focus on providing community service, professional fraternities prepare students for skills in a specific occupation.

“AKPsi’s main goal is to develop principled business leaders. We work on interview skills, have resume workshops, and bring in recruiters to speak to our members,” said Vice President of Membership, senior Ashley Guerra.

Current members refer to Alpha Kappa Psi as ‘AKPsi’, a shortened form of the name and an indication of the common bond members share.

Alpha Kappa Psi was traditionally an all-male fraternity at the time of its creation in 1904, and permitted the integration of female members in 1976.

“Having both men and women in the fraternity resembles a more realistic environment, like in a company. One of our goals is to prepare our members with a professional atmosphere, so they know what to expect in the real-world,”said FIU’s Xi Sigma Chapter President, Maria Areiza.

The co-educational attribute of men and women in such a distinguished business fraternity, provides a platform of inclusivity and in turn, altering the standards for fraternities.

As with any other fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi partakes in a recruitment and pledge process to extend full membership.

“We start tabling and marketing ourselves during the second week of school. As for our rush events, you must attend at least one of the five events in order to be considered,” said Guerra.

The recruitment process is a means for the fraternity to exhibit visibility among potential members and to identify the people who are genuinely interested in joining.

Once the recruitment period ends, Guerra explains that bids are extended to ‘rush-ees’ and the pledge process includes educating pledges about its central values, history of the fraternity and building upon personal and professional development.

On the latter note, a benefit of Alpha Kappa Psi is the idea of improving oneself personally, in preparation for the business component of the fraternity.

“It has given me the opportunities to exceed in leadership, confidence, and public speaking. I would also say I have grown so much professionally, because I carry myself in a completely different manner now as a brother,” said Jhon Carlos Barrera, the fraternity’s recruitment leader.

For many, the fraternity is a stepping stone on the road to building networking skills and adding desirable qualifications on job resumes.

The Xi Sigma chapter recently won a regional conference held in Atlanta, Georgia. The chapter will also be celebrating their upcoming 25th Charter Anniversary, having been inducted at FIU since June 27, 1992.

The group is also a proud contributor to members facing financial hardship, called the “Alpha Kappa Psi Scholarship.”

We have many generous donors who contribute to the scholarship and AKPsi does fundraisers, and on average we raise about $4,000 a year to help our fellow members,” said Areiza.

This feature not only aids a fellow member in economic strain, but also displays an overall assurance of the fraternity in taking care of its members.

The future of Alpha Kappa Psi is focused on growth and improvement, according to Areiza.

“We’re working on getting a signature service event, improving our charter’s website, and just getting our name out there to expand our membership,” said Areiza.

She adds that the fraternity is not limited to business majors, herself a senior double majoring in chemistry and biology, stating they are open to anyone interested in the field of business.

“Alpha Kappa Psi is a family to me. This is where I’ve been to join a group of people who are all like-minded in the sense [of] bettering themselves,” said Barrera.