By: 2012 Shideler Award winner and past Southeastern Interfraternity Conference’s Man of the Year, Ben Donlon, Louisville ’09.
“Without work, there is no real success.”
-Morton Walker
As a child, one of the first things I learned was that if you wanted something, rarely would it fall into your lap. Instead, you had to exert the effort and hard work in order to achieve it. The satisfaction of achievement reached through hard work and dedication has always been far more rewarding than simply being handed satisfactory results.
When I came to the University of Louisville in the fall of 2008, I encountered one fraternity that exemplified the ideals of hard work and success. Alive with the excitement of a spectacular new house on the corner of Greek row and the satisfaction of recently achieved goals, it was evident that the brothers of Phi Kappa Tau worked collectively to reach greatness.
I knew nothing about Greek Life, or even what the strange symbols on the side of the nice new house represented. As I meandered up and down Greek row, several fraternity men told me of their accomplishments as they recruited me to join their organization, but none could provide proof of the hard work they had invested in their achievements.
The brothers of Phi Tau, however, demonstrated their investment in the value of hard work. They weren’t number one in academics, intramurals, or social status, but they had something unique from any other organization. Grades rise and fall, athletes come and go, and last year’s most outrageous party will soon be replaced by the next big thing. Despite their deficiencies, I was sure the brothers of Phi Kappa Tau exemplified the one thing that mattered most: Passion.
As a newly initiated member, I quickly realized that while passion was an important key to fueling the fire, there was much work to be done to ensure the success of my newfound brotherhood. There was a mountain that needed to be climbed…and soon. Our organization boasted one of the strongest brotherhoods on campus, but we didn’t have much more to offer at that point. At the time, I was not in any position to drastically revamp the entire environment. I knew that with time I could make the necessary changes to build a strong organization, and when that day came I wanted to be ready to act.
I spent one night chatting with a combination of past and future leaders. We threw around some ideas for how we could improve the Beta Beta chapter in the next few years. I listened intently as the elder brothers reflected on what they wished they had accomplished in their four years at the University of Louisville. We developed ideas for how to improve a chapter that had, in recent years, settled for mediocrity. We made a goal, large but attainable—something that the Beta Beta chapter had not even discussed for several years. The future leaders of Phi Tau resolved to win a Maxwell Award by the time we graduated. (Luckily, none of us graduated on time, so we had an extra semester to get this done!)
We left that night inspired; I was charged with a passion that I had never before felt with any group or team. Tirelessly, we worked together to create change within a system not susceptible to it.
As any great leader knows, the right decisions are not always the most popular. Sometimes we weren’t liked, even hated. However, we continued to set our sights on the long-term goals. Despite some resistance within our chapter and beyond, our strong leadership and vision led to a continued rise in academics, philanthropic donations, community and campus involvement, and intramural accomplishments.
In my undergraduate years at the University of Louisville, the Beta Beta chapter has reached a level of success not seen since 1996, the year of our last Maxwell Award. Recently, the last hurdle to conquer stood before us. It was time to demonstrate the product of our hard work in the 2012 Maxwell application.
Months passed after the submission of our application. With every passing day, our anxiety rose as we wondered whether if we would be selected as a finalist.
On a sweltering hot afternoon in June, my iPhone buzzed, signaling I had just received an e-mail—an e-mail that changed everything. I have won state championships and prestigious awards, but none of these achievements compared to the excitement I felt as I read the text on my screen. The Beta Beta chapter was selected as a Founders Four chapter. All of the hard work, long nights, headaches, sweat, and occasional tears had finally paid off.
No one knows what the will future hold. Your chapter may be the worst on campus. You may feel like you don’t have a shot to reach the top. You may even be thinking of quitting. It is important to realize that one person cannot change a chapter. A strong chapter requires a group of motivated, passionate, inspired individuals who are willing to dedicate hard work to facilitate improvements and change.
Without work, there truly is no real success.
Life will throw you curveballs and place you in some of the most difficult situations, but it is what you do with these obstacles that determines where you’ll end up. Face the curveball with confidence and rigor, and you’ll hit a home run out of the park rather than striking out. Ask for help when you’re faced with a tough situation, and realize that with practice you will reform each strike of the past into a solid hit of the future. Find alternatives when you feel like you’re stuck. Explore, interact, inquire, and never accept mediocrity or excuses as roadblocks on your path to success. Remember, on your path to greatness, that there is no elevator to the top of the highest mountains—the only way up is to climb.
