KAPPA PSI
Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Inc
 

Gervacio Cabel (JB)

 

I’ve had to take on the role of a supporter and guardian from an early age. My father was not that present in my life growing up. As the eldest of four children, it was up to me to be the older brother and support my siblings. I love them and I took it upon myself to be the one attending their competitions, teaching them, and providing support whenever I can. I took it upon myself to protect them, from whatever harm may come their way. I won’t lie, growing up wasn’t easy for me. I dealt with a lot of struggles regarding my father as well as coming into my own person. But along the way, I had my siblings and my best of friends at every step to support me and give me strength. And I was there to do the same. With so much support around me, I felt like I could brave any hardship. I felt invincible, even in the darkest of times.

 

Because of these life experiences, while I uphold all the pillars of Kappa Psi, one pillar resonates with me immensely: fellowship. To me, fellowship symbolizes the bonds we make with other people and how we hold ourselves to a high standard with those bonds with notions such as loyalty, love, friendship, and solidarity. Upon joining Kappa Psi, I was happy to find myself with a group of individuals that come together in unity to embody the pillar of fellowship. I found lifelong friends and people that I trust. I’ve found Brothers and people that I respect and cherish.

I would love to serve as the new Pledge Dad for the next pledge class because I want to share my own experiences with the pledging to help bring about an atmosphere of support and positivity. I want to emphasize the importance of fellowship and inspire the pledge class by showcasing what the Brotherhood is all about. With the support of each other, they will help grow and learn from one another to eventually become quality Brothers of the fraternity. As a Pledge Parent, I would be there with them at every step of the way to make sure their transition from a pledge to a Brother succeeds as they uphold the values instilled by Kappa Psi.

 

In addition to having a successful end result for the pledge class, I want to ensure that the process they go through is also enjoyable. To me, pledging was hard, but it was also my favorite part about my first semester in pharmacy school. The activities were fun and doing them with people I was getting closer with made it all the worthwhile. I want the pledge class to feel like they got something out of pledging. I want the pledges to be able to grow as professionals, exceed their own expectations of themselves, make lifelong friends in brotherhood, and have a place where they can feel like they belong and can have fun. As pledging ramps up and becomes more difficult, it will be up to me as the Pledge Parent to support the pledges and help them be the very best that they can be. But with the positivity and emphasis on fellowship that I hope to bring, the pledges will be able to rely on themselves and one another as they face whatever hardship they come across.

​

Upon joining Kappa Psi, I have been quite involved with participating in events because I love the fraternity the people in it. I enjoyed volunteering and participating in those events but I loved the fact that I was doing those events with people I cared about even more. I have volunteered for events such as Special Olympics Swimming where I showcased my hard-working attitude. I volunteered to participate in multiple Greek Week events where I showcased my drive, my creativity, and my love for Kappa Psi. I even joined the Greek Week Committee and helped organize events such as the lip sync battle and the pharmaceutics relay. While pledging, I volunteered to be one of the MC’s for the active dinner, so I have no problems in being a loud voice in the room whether it’s to break the ice or to speak up.

​

I definitely value Karlo’s vision for promoting a sense of positivity and understanding within Kappa Psi. Whether or not I become a pledge parent, I want to help continue to reinforce and expand upon that vision. I believe that I can help be a catalyst to instill that kind of energy with the next pledge class. And it is because I want to help realize this vision that I have joined the Pledge Evaluation Committee. It is important to be reflective and learn from your experiences. That is exactly what the Pledge Evaluation Committee is about. You learn from your mistakes, and you continue to improve and better yourself in the future. What we accomplish within the Pledge Evaluation Committee will allow us to continually push Kappa Psi and the pledging process in a better direction. You must also be open-minded and understanding as well as realistic with the goals you want to accomplish when evaluating the pledging process and I feel that I provide a good mix of those qualities.

​

In addition to my involvement and qualities I’ve demonstrated within Kappa Psi, I think that my time as a peer mentor and teaching assistant allow me to transfer those qualities to help me serve as a pledge parent. As a peer mentor and teaching assistant, I’ve had to learn how to lighten the mood and ease students’ stresses and frustrations through speaking, sharing my experiences, and providing support. I’ve been able to facilitate discussions and help break the ice among peers so that they may be more comfortable with myself and each other. I’ve also learned how to become more empathetic as I think about the position from a student’s perspective, channel my own experiences into the learning experience, and pass on my knowledge to those that need it. All of these skills and qualities can be transferred to aid me bring about my goals as a pledge parent.

In order for this vision to be realized, it takes a lot of planning and hard work. If elected to the position of Pledge Dad, I will make sure to give my very best efforts, to infinity and beyond, in order to promote the positivity and fellowship that I saw in my own time as a pledge within the next pledge class. I wish to create new Rush and Pledging experiences that are both fun and purposeful. I also understand that the e-board and all the Brothers are a team. I plan to work with that team to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible. It is important to incorporate others within the Fraternity in order to bring about the best results for everyone involved. As Pledge Dad, I believe that I can help direct and lead this process along with the Pledge Mom and Vice Regent.

​

Above all else, I want to serve as Pledge Dad because I want to leave behind a legacy. I love Kappa Psi and the Brothers I’ve gained in joining the fraternity. I want to continue to have Kappa Psi succeed in gaining quality Brothers because of its long-lasting positivity and emphasis on understanding and fellowship. In my mind, the pledging process should help the pledges exceed their limitations and help the pledges grow in aspects such as communication, professionalism, and hard work. But pledging should also be a process in which the pledges have fun, come to know themselves and one another, and find a place to belong. I want to have a hand in establishing this legacy in the years to come.

 

 

Hai Pham

 

Prior to entering school, I had Brother Neil Miran advocate extensively to join the fraternity, Kappa Psi. I didn’t think much of Kappa Psi, I just thought of it as another organization where I could make friends. My perspective of the organization changed as I came out to more Rushing events, as I was welcomed and vibed well with the Brothers of Kappa Psi. I didn’t learn to fully appreciate Kappa Psi until I started Pledging. Throughout the process, I learned the core values of Kappa Psi and experienced hardships, relying on my Pledge Parents for the initial learning. I learned to lean on my Brothers and Parents for help when I needed to, and to communicate any of my worries. Most importantly, I learned how to be vulnerable to my Brothers, expressing some of my deeper concerns to them, learning that each of them was willing to help share my burden and concerns. Once I was vulnerable, I was able to enjoy every moment with them, appreciating the dinners, hangouts, studying, and Christmas parties we had. I appreciate my Brothers of Kappa Psi and wish to give back to the fraternity. I want this officer role as it most aligns with my career goals and is the role I wish to be the most involved in. As a Pledge Dad, I would be able to watch the growth of the next class and help guide them. I love the mentoring/acting as a resource aspect of the position, as my career trajectory lines up with those interest. I also wish to help lead the organization as a leader, hoping to contribute to the betterment of the organization.

​

My involvements in Kappa Psi includes being on the Pledge Evaluation Committee and being on the Greek Week committee. These experiences gave me a view on the pledging process and ideas on how to improve it. I have seen the negatives and positives of this year’s Rushing / Pledging Process, and I have an idea of how to improve each event. I have also involved myself in planning Greek Week, participating and organizing an event for it. This has given me ideas on how to run Greek Week next year and what to expect when collaborating with PDC. Some outside positions I have held involve being a mentor for Dr. Juliana Chan’s class, being president of the Vietnamese Student Association during my undergraduate years, and being Cultural Co-Chair for the Philippines Student Association during my undergraduate years. Being a mentor for an undergraduate student has taught me how to connect and be of use as resource for those who may come into pharmacy school with limited knowledge. Being a leader in various organizations has taught me how to lead an organization and think of ways to improve events and lead with purpose. It has taught me how to work with others as a team and how to communicate effectively to get the desired results.

​

If elected, I wish to look over the events that were most disliked during Rush and Pledging and plan with the Rush Committee on how to improve it. One thing I wish to include in the pledging process would be improving how the pledges get to know the brothers through the signature system. A complaint this year was the non-uniformity on how getting the signature was. I want to standardize it to a degree where brothers would give a clue about a brother and make pledges find the brother in which they haven’t gotten the signature of yet. This would give something for the pledges to talk to the brother about and prove that the brothers of Kappa Psi know each other. I would also like to tailor some of the weeks of questions to tailor to upcoming events so that the pledges feel confident in going into an event such as Chi Council and such. I would also try to host a small discussion each week on interests pledges have and introduce them to opportunities that may align with their goals so that they can begin crafting their careers. I hope to help the pledges foster their interest and provide them with the mentors and opportunities that will guide them as they proceed through the pharmacy curriculum. I want to make Kappa Psi a home for their growth, both personally and professionally. I want to show them why Kappa Psi provides an abundance of opportunities from which they can take advantage of and grow from. Kappa Psi is a great organization, and I don’t want to only tell them that, but let them experience Kappa Psi’s greatness for themselves.