THE SUMMER EXPERIENCE BY PATRIC K C ARLSO N & NI C HO LAS EBELHAC K
RIDING AT A DIFFERENT PACE FOUR ALUMNI CAME TOGETHER Alpha Eta (Samford), Brandon Sorenson, Beta between the alumni became a lifeline of support. through a variety of different uncommon Alpha (NJIT) and Ruben Talavera, Eta Omega “The only thing left to do was to make this a ride (New Mexico State), to commit to doing Gear to truly remember,” Talavera said. opportunities to complete Gear Up Florida. “As we pulled up that last hill in Tallahassee, “Don’t let this be something you did, let Up Florida with him this summer. “Training isn’t pretty or easy," Sorenson said. we felt reassured that the passion of a Pi Alpha this be something you are” is the mantra that Andre Arman, Zeta Epsilon (George Mason), "Add in trying to keep your job and keep up a burned brightly in the hearts of those gentlemen," curated during one of his many Gear Up Florida training schedule targeted towards college men, Corey said. "As one wise man had said, 'We had planted the seeds of trees under whose shade we excursions, and through this mantra, Arman you are going to have your bad days.” This is where a seemingly endless texting chain did not expect to rest.'" helped recruit his Pi Alpha brothers David Corey,
BUILDING COAST-TO-COAST This is a new experience, however, even for THIS SUMMER, BROTHERS converged in Groton, MA to begin their building journey. Sporleder. This trek began on the east coast They varied in skill level and background, but and ended on the west. Build America has their shared mission fueled their drive. For always traveled around the country, but this Keith Sporleder, Beta Iota (Toledo), the team’s summer, team members really could say they Project Manager, this was a familiar feeling. made an impact coast-to-coast. The team’s Sporleder is a Pi Alpha, having served as a team arrival was on July 27 in Los Angeles. member for the 2018 Build America team. “My big moment was at Camp Camp in “From the first week [of Build America Centerpoint, TX. There were no campers 2018], I knew this wasn’t going to be the last there, no counselors, no staff. We just time I do this,” said Sporleder. “The friendship came to do work.” Sporleder explained. visits are what it’s all about. It’s everything I “We made a landing pad where wheelchairs can wait while people get unloaded from could have hoped for and more.”
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the buses. I was like, ‘Okay, done. Easy job.’ But what I thought was an easy job was one of the best and most impactful additions to the camp.” In total, Build America 2019 raised nearly $49,000 benefiting people with disabilities, visited ten states, and built new accessible features at six camps. These men are left with more than just a memory - they are left with a new and diverse skill set in construction, a tight-knit group of Pi Alpha brothers, and a deep-rooted empathy for whom the they devoted their summers to. pikapp.org/news
