2025 Vice President of Member Development Ben Welte ’27 organized the retreat. With help from brother Hunter Victorio ’26, all activities were thoughtfully planned out, led by chapter leaders who were passionate about their responsibilities, and made engaging for all involved. Upon arrival, each member was assigned a group they would be spending time with during activities. Each group was assigned a group leader, a member seen as a rising leader now given the opportunity to showcase that skill.
The retreat was elevated by presentations from several of our esteemed alumni. Tom Birmingham ‘86 expressed his strong desire to give back to undergrads, and he provided us with resources he knows our alumni network has. Through feedback from our chapter and communicating with other alumni, Birmingham was able to create and run Connecticut Alpha’s first career day event. Its success and details can be found here.
Chapter Counselor Andy Kelly, Arkansas ‘00, was excellent in communicating what it means to be a successful SigEp. Hearing this insight from our chapter counselor made it all the more personal and allowed our new members to view him as more than just an advisor. Kelly expressed his profound interest in attending and participating in the SigEp Patriots Project’s 10th Annual Founders Day Wreath Laying at Arlington National Cemetery. A synopsis of the event and Kelly’s participation can be found here.
Alumni & Volunteer Corporation Vice President Dr. Jonathan Wharton, Stevens Renaissance, shared his excitement for the future of our chapter. By emphasising the importance of the opportunities SigEp offers both as an undergrad and after college, Wharton was able to appeal to his whole audience and solidify excitement and dedication to the chapter that had been building throughout the day.
Recent graduate and current AVC member Jake Daignault ‘25 surprised the chapter with his appearance. Daignault expressed his passion for continuing success and urging new members to take that chance to become leaders as early as possible. “Jake’s involvement within the chapter was monumental and his continued involvement even after graduating was so incredibly helpful. It was definitely nice to have someone so recently involved share his perspective. I think it’s great for new members to see that,” said undergraduate Seth Wilson ‘27. Birmingham was able to sit down with Daignault and discuss his early influences, his journey with school, SigEp, and other topics which can be found here.
Another activity included writing letters to our future selves. The purpose of this exercise was to physically write down our struggles, aspirations, and how we’re currently feeling as opposed to how we wish, or predict we will be feeling a year from then. Additionally, we were tasked with writing a letter to a fellow brother. This was an opportunity for brothers to reflect on their time together and appreciate one another.
Other activities facilitated sharing our stories and aspirations with each other. Chapter families would meet and discuss how they wish to either start or continue big brother-little brother traditions, increase their involvement with one another, and how we can get our chapter to promote more family-oriented activities. Activities like Step-In Step-Out, and Keep, Start, Stop, were aimed to allow participants to reflect on who they are surrounded by, how they want to be represented, and what we can do to improve our chapter.
Life Maps is one of the highlights of the retreat experience. Group leaders were tasked with separating their group from the rest of the chapter to open up to one another. Participants can be as open or closed off as they wish as the purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of each other. This year groups were formed so brothers who aren’t normally together could experience such an activity, and it allowed for captivating conversations which ultimately strengthened our bonds as brothers.
Additionally, 2025 Chaplain Ethan Carty ‘26 led members of his standards board to perform the Burning Heart Ceremony, which allowed for reflection of our Cardinal Principles. The standards board also took time to recognize brothers who exemplified leadership in Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love, by presenting brothers Max McCarthy ‘28, Sam Mason ‘26, and Dylan Stark ‘28 with their respective awards. Brother Matthew Dimech ‘27 received the Elmo Zumalt Award and Rory Granfield ‘27 received the Outstanding New Member Award.
As outlined, many of the goals and expectations presented at this past retreat came to fruition. Many rising leaders of our retreat used that opportunity to showcase their talents and were eventually elected into our 2026 Executive Board. Members of the fall ‘25 new member class have begun participating in committees, including some holding chairmen positions. It’s clear to see the benefits of an event such as retreat, and it’s promising to say that CT Alpha will continue to reap its benefits for years to come.