Last week, SigEp KY Beta welcomed home three rising sophomore brothers from the 20th annual Frank J. Ruck Leadership Institute in Richmond, Virginia. Brothers, Francisco Rios, Ian Pitt, and David O’Coffey were three of 150 Ruck scholars selected to go from SigEp chapters across the country. Greg Pestinger, KY Beta’s chapter counselor, accompanied the trio and served as a Ruck facilitator.
Francisco be starting his sophomore year this fall as a computer engineering and computer science major. Francisco is planning on taking a leadership role in Services in the future. When asked about his Ruck experience, he said,
“Attending Ruck helped me expand my mind and showed me how to put the potential I have into action. It truly impacted my future as a leader for the better, and I will be able to apply the things I learned here for the rest of my life.”
David is a rising sophomore, studying marketing. This is what David took away from his Ruck experience:
“My experience at Ruck has inspired an accelerated sense of purpose in my life. The lessons I left Richmond with will stay with me forever, constantly pushing me to new heights. I have been equipped with new tools to help my chapter, the people around me, and myself. The individuals I shared this time with gave me great encouragement, it is an honor to be their brother. I am hopeful and excited for the positive change that my brothers and I will have on the world. I’m proud to be a SigEp.”
Ian is a rising sophomore and is a marketing major. After coming out of Ruck, Ian has big plans to be involved in Member Development. Ian had this to say about his time in Virgina:
“Ruck was transformative. Being surrounded by 150 of the best SigEps around the nation put things into a broader perspective for me. It motivated me to demand the best for myself, that anything was possible if I work dilligently. Ruck also instilled in me a new sense of pride being a part of SigEp. Being in the birthplace of our fraternity and seeing the history of our founders made me realize just how special this organization is. I realized that I can and will be a catalyst for improvement in my chapter. I came out of Ruck with a new mission: to be part of the few that impact the many. “
Greg is KY Beta’s incredible chapter counselor. He made the trek to Ruck with our three undergrad brothers. Greg is an alumni of SigEp KS Beta at Kansas State but has since moved to Kentucky. His guidance and experience have helped to help make our chapter the best it can possibly be. When asked about Ruck, he said,
“Ketucky Beta Proud! Out of almost 14,000 undergraduate brothers, 150 are chose to attend Ruck. Three of these young men are from KY Beta. Ruck is unique and is recognized as the top leadership program in the fraternity world.
Ruck’s mission is to ‘teach the few to lead the many’.
Armed with this mission, new-found leadership skills and a new network of top SigEp leaders from across the country, David, Francisco, and Ian will impact KY Beta in ways never imagined.
I’m very proud of my KY Beta Ruck brothers and can’t wait to watch them soar on campus and throughout the rest of their lives.”
One of the biggest things Ian, David, and Francisco did at Ruck was to make an action plan for our chapter. A part of their plan relates to the Sigma Challenge. They are currently in discussion with the VP of Member Development to bring this plan to fruition for the coming fall semester. The goal of this plan is to to create meaningful experiences that will impact the lives of new brothers as they go through the Sigma Challenge.
Our chapter is so proud of our brothers for all the work they have done and for the experiences they’re bringing home. The changes they will bring with their action plan will surely impact the success of our chapter and of future SigEp brothers for years to come.
Volunteering is great way to promote KY Beta’s continued success. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out an interest form. Another great way to contribute is through the The Pestinger Leadership Endowment. This endowment will ensure that brothers are able to attend Carlson, Ruck and Conclave in perpetuity.