What is AKPsi?
Mandy Spangler (MS): AKPsi is a nationally recognized co-ed, professional business fraternity. At Wake Forest, AKPsi is a premiere business organization that builds professional skills as well as relationships between members.
Claire Fletcher (CF): AKPsi is a coed Greek organization that focuses on business and professional development. It’s the largest national business fraternity in the United States!
Why should people join AKPsi?
MS: There are honestly countless reasons that people should join AKPsi. AKPsi has provided me with some of the strongest friendships and relationships that I am certain will carry through the rest of my life. AKPsi also fosters an extremely encouraging and supportive environment that has allowed me to gain professional skills to use in the future, as well as skills and contacts that continue to assist in my current professional pursuits.
CF: I joined AKPsi because I wanted to meet people who shared my interests and to develop professional skills which would help me find a career later on. I think people should join AKPsi because you do gain a lot of valuable skills in terms of interviewing, building a resume, networking, and creating a personal brand. AKPsi has around 100 current brothers, and although it is a business oriented organization, everyone has different interests and experiences. Like any other Greek organization, AKPsi provides a support system and a fantastic group of people. AKPsi provides an avenue for people to learn the professional skills that extend beyond our time at Wake along with the social aspect of formals and a new support system.
What is your favorite AKPsi memory?
MS: My favorite AKPsi memory was living in a suite of girls from AKPsi girls during my sophomore year. At the end of my freshman year, two seniors reached out asking if I would be interested in living in a suite with them and a few other girls from the brotherhood the following year, and I am so happy that I said yes. I had the opportunity to develop friendships that year with some of the most intelligent and driven girls that I have ever met and living in that suite is definitely one of my favorite college memories.
CF: My favorite AKPsi memory was during our pledge process. I was our pledge class treasurer, and my job was to plan and run a fundraiser for our pledge class. We decided to sell and deliver “Thanksgiving Turkey Grams” during the week before Thanksgiving. It ended up being more work than I had anticipated: I ended up staying up until 4am along with some of my pledge brothers to finish all eighty of the Turkey Grams. Although it was a lot of work, it was a great bonding experience for me and my twenty pledge brothers.
What is your position and what are your responsibilities?
MS: I am currently serving as the President of the Wake Forest chapter of AKPsi. As President, I have a wide array of responsibilities that range from serving as the primary contact point to our National Heritage Center, leading weekly chapter meetings and meetings of our executive board and ultimately overseeing the overall function of the chapter.
CF: I am one of the four rush chairs for the spring semester. The other rush chairs are Morgan Curtis, Owen Corrigan, and James Ridgeway. We are in charge of planning AKPsi rush and marketing AKPsi to attract potential new members. We started planning before we left for break and have been working on rush for the entirety of the break. One of our main responsibilities is spreading the word about spring recruitment around campus. We are going to start putting up flyers around campus and start speaking at some of the larger introductory courses like Economics 150, so we can get the word out. Unlike fall semester, freshman can rush in the spring and we are trying to get the word out because unlike upper classmen, freshman may not know about AKPsi. Along with marketing, we are in charge of organizing each of the rush events, keeping record of all the potential new members and ensuring that all the information reaches the PNMs.
What are you looking forward to this semester with AKPsi?
MS: There are so many things that I am looking forward to this semester with AKPsi. Our newest members, who were initiated last semester, have taken an incredible initiative, and so many of them have earned positions on our executive board, so I am really looking forward to getting to work with them on projects that they are passionate about. The new executive board is filled with talented and intelligent members, and I am so excited to get to work with all of them. I’m also looking forward to enjoying time with the graduating members before they become alumni.
CF: This is the first time that I will be on exec, so I am excited to be a part of the Executive Committee and to help out the other officers whenever I can. I am also excited about being on the other side of the rush process. I enjoyed rushing AKPsi, and I am looking forward to spreading the word and helping potential new members be a part of an organization of which I love being a part.
Why did you want to join AKPsi?
MS: I decided to rush AKPsi shortly after transferring to Wake Forest for the second semester of my freshman year. I was searching for a place on campus that I could find people that I related to– a group that I felt at home in, and I definitely found that with AKPsi. During rush I felt a connection with the brothers that I spoke to, and I knew that AKPsi was a group that I could see myself being very passionate about.
CF: I was looking for a way to meet new people at Wake, and I have always been interested in a career in business. One of my suitemates, Mary Louise Kehaya, rushed AKPsi during her freshman year, and she would always talk about how much she enjoyed it. So, I decided to tag along with her to the AKPsi formal last spring to meet some of the other members. I really liked all of the brothers and felt comfortable in the environment, so I decided to go through fall recruitment.
When and where are the rush events?
MS: Our spring rush week will begin on Monday, February 5. We will hold information sessions in classrooms in Farrell Hall on both Monday and Tuesday, followed by events on Wednesday at the Magnolia Room and Thursday at Zick’s. For more information on the events, visit the AKPsi WFU website, or email Claire Fletcher at fletcf16@wfu.edu.
CF: Potential new members only need to attend one information session. After the info sessions, our formal rush process starts. I will be sending out an email to all the potential new members after the information sessions with the details about each rush event.
Who should rush AKPsi?
MS: One of the best parts about the AKPsi brotherhood is the diversity of students that we attract. Truly anybody looking to expand their reach on campus should look into rushing. We have students from all majors, ranging from Business to STEM majors to Art History. AKPsi is absolutely not just for business majors, and we are thrilled to welcome a strong diversity of students.
CF: Anyone can rush AKPsi. I know that it is the business fraternity, but we have members with all different majors and interests including brother of the premed trajectory, art history majors, etc. AKPsi is not affiliated with the Undergraduate Business School, so people of all interests are welcome! We really want a pledge class full of people with different majors, perspectives, and backgrounds.
What do you look for in a new member?
MS: In a new member, we look for students that are motivated, passionate, and willing to fully commit to the rush process and ultimately, to the brotherhood. We are excited about new members that are looking to expand their personal network.
CF: We look for members who are not afraid to put themselves out there and meet everyone in the brotherhood. We want people who will participate in AKPsi events and who enjoy being a part of AKPsi as much as we do. Personally, I believe that the more you put into the rush process, the more you will get out of the process. We want members who aren’t just looking for another tick on their resume, but who also really want to contribute to the overall experience of all members of AKPsi.
What should potential new members do before rush to prepare?
MS: To prepare before rush, I would recommend reaching out to the rush chairs, and preparing to talk to as many brothers as possible. Before rush I would also recommend putting together a resume and practicing interview skills. With that said, AKPsi is here to help new members develop and perfect their professional skills, so we are always happy to answer questions and provide help to potential new members.
CF: All potential new members should make a resume prior to the rush process. One of our rush events is a resume review. PNMs will be paired with a couple of brothers and have a one on one resume review session. The resumes don’t have to be perfect for the resume review! Trust me, my resume completely changed after I had a couple of brothers edit it. I would also bring a business casual and a business professional outfit from home because some of the events require either business casual or professional attire. Also, there will be an application for potential new members to complete in order to be considered for an interview. Some of the questions will require some extra thought, so I would try to get the application done before the final hour.
What should potential new members wear to the events?
MS: For the information sessions and the event on Thursday at Zick’s, the dress code is casual. For the meet and greet on Wednesday in the Mag Room, the dress code will be business casual– meaning dresses and skirts for women, and jackets or ties for men. If a potential new member is invited to interview with the brotherhood following these events, the expected dress code will be business professional, meaning blazers or suits for both men and women.
What are the benefits of being in AKPsi?
MS:
As corny as it sounds, the benefits of being in AKPsi are truly endless. AKPsi allows members to develop professional skills that have undoubtedly assisted countless brothers, myself included, in securing interviews, internships, and job offers following graduation. AKPsi offers a wide expansion on a member’s network, and fosters an environment of brotherhood, support and encouragement that provides so many opportunities for members.
CF: The biggest benefit that I have drawn from AKPsi is having resources in terms of advice for interviews and networking. I had a couple of investment banking interviews last semester, and I was able to speak with brothers who had been in that situation before and get advice on what to expect. Also, AKPsi is a fantastic networking tool. Around eighty percent of jobs these days are made through networking, and AKPsi has a fantastic network. For example, Steve Forbes, Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon were all members of AKPsi along with several other senators and Fortune 500 Company CEOs and CFOs. AKPsi is a fantastic way to broaden your network at and beyond the Wake Forest community.
What advice would you give to potential new members?
MS: My advice to potential new members would be to be yourself and speak to as many brothers as possible. Brothers will connect with potential new members that are genuine and true to themselves and their passions.
CF: I would advise potential new members to be themselves during the rush process! It is more fun for us if you are also enjoying the rush process, so just relax and be yourself. I would also try to meet as many brothers and have substantial conversations with each brother. It is easy to remember an extremely interesting or different conversation with a potential new member when it comes to the voting process. I talked to our former Vice President of Membership, Mike Napoli, for about thirty minutes about puns and corny jokes. I also recommend that potential new members should attend every rush event because it shows us that you really want to be a part of this organization. I would also try to meet and talk to other potential new members, as brothers were are also looking to see how you interact with potential pledge brothers when we are trying to create a well rounded pledge class.
Photos courtesy of: Claire Fletcher and Mandy Spangler