Kent State students seeking success in the business world have found community, support and professional development through coeducation business fraternities, Delta Sigma Pi and Pi Sigma Epsilon.
PSE is the only national coed professional fraternity in the fields of sales and management. However, it is open to all majors, according to the PSE organization’s page on Kent State’s website.
This inclusivity allows any student with an interest in these fields to get involved and gain experience, regardless of their major.
Maddie Demidovich, a sophomore communications major, joined PSE this spring to expand her professional horizons.
“I wanted to give myself new opportunities to grow professionally and build a network of supportive people who are working towards similar goals,” Demidovich said.
Though she’s still new to PSE, Demidovich has already learned a lot.
“Being in a business fraternity has given me both future internship and networking opportunities as well as advice in things like job interviews, resumes and tips for professional settings,” she said.
Trevor Portz, a senior marketing major, joined PSE to obtain a future internship.
“I joined a business fraternity to get more connections in the business world,” Portz said. “I’ve only been in PSE for a semester, but it really has helped me learn how to network better.”
As a member of both PSE and the social fraternity, Sigma Chi, Portz offered his perspective on how the two compare.
“PSE is definitely more professional — they bring in guest speakers and host workshops,” he said. “Sigma Chi, on the other hand, is much more social, with philanthropies, events and a house where the brothers live together.”
For Delta Sigma Pi, membership requirements are a bit more specific.
Students must be a business major or have a business minor paired with a major in advertising, hospitality management, health care administration, fashion merchandising or sports administration to be eligible for DSP, according to the organization’s website.
DSP has been a fraternity since 1907, but before that, it started as a club, said Connor Burdette, a sophomore accounting major and the president of DSP.
“I believe it is now labeled as a fraternity, and not a club or organization because it shares many attributes of a typical fraternity,” he said.
DSP uses a structured process for welcoming new members each semester.
“At the start of the semester, we hold recruitment events and have potential members fill out an application stating their interest in the organization,” he said. “From there, we take evaluative measures, and if certain criteria are met, they are welcomed into the pledging process. When pledges complete this process, they are then initiated into DSP’s brotherhood.”
Madison Roth, a freshman accounting major, was looking for a way to get more involved at Kent State and found her place in DSP.
“I wanted to be more involved in extracurricular activities,” Roth said. “I liked how DSP has not only the social aspect, but also the professional aspect.”
Through DSP, Roth said she has built lasting friendships, gained resume and interview tips and learned how to dress the part for professional success.
“Being in DSP has definitely helped me with my career goals,” Roth said. “Being surrounded by so many brothers with big career aspirations has helped push me to make sure I am always working toward my goals and helping others do the same.”
Erin Lavinder is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].