Thoughts and Feelings

What do you hope to accomplish with your participation on this trip?

I want to benefit as many lives as I possibly can with my work and I want to demonstrate a positive attitude to all the people in the villages we visit. I want to experience first-hand what living conditions are like. I want to take what I’ve learned and spread the word as far as I can and expand Gamma Pi’s participation as well as encourage participation from other groups and organizations. I want to experience a period of introspection and evaluate my past, present, and future life from the experiences I share and the bonds I form.

Why is it important for Sigma Chi and the Gamma Pi Chapter to sponsor this activity?

It is a very unique thing to be able to say that I’ve been down to one of the poorest sectors of the world and with a small helping hand, have changed the lives of so many. Almost no other organization can say they’ve done this. The brothers of Gamma Pi have the esteemed opportunity in going down to the DR to not only help others, but to gain new perspective on life and reevaluate themselves by the Jordan Standard. What brothers learn down in the DR has the potential to spread to the chapter as a whole and make it better.

In your personal experiences, what has prepared you for this trip (previous service events, fundraising foreign travel, brotherhood initiatives, speak Spanish)?

I’ve done my fair share of community service (i.e. Habitat for Humanity, coaching soccer, working at a Food Pantry, etc.). I’ve traveled to Europe and the Caribbean and I took 5 years of Spanish (although I’ve retained very little of it). One other thing, I’m good at interacting with kids of all ages. I’m the oldest of 3 and I have a bunch of younger cousins I see a fair amount.

- Samuel Rubin, Class of '15