Happy Fraternity Friday, Black Bears! This week, we are introducing you to Josh Gibson, Co-Chair of Philanthropy for Alpha Tau Omega. Josh is from Connecticut and transferred here from UConn.
Josh says he joined ATO because of the values and attitudes of the members he met during rush week. His membership has enhanced his experience especially as a transfer student because there are always new friends to meet and be surrounded by. As part of his fraternity, he is the Intramural Chair for three sports throughout the semester: football, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. He is also part of the Ultimate Frisbee Club, the SFR (Sustainable Forestry Resources) Community Council, and volunteers at Acadia National Park to help with the seasonable cleanups.
One of Josh’s biggest achievements as part of ATO was the Maine Food Festival that he organized last year to benefit the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Boston. The event was very successful, and he is planning to organize the event again this spring to help foster a relationship with the Shriners Hospital. Last year, the event raised $1300 and allowed him and other members of the fraternity to meet members of the Shriners Hospital board. Josh is captain of BlackBearThon as well, where he was able to raise $250 for the Eastern Maine Medical Center Northern Light Hospital.
This summer, Josh got an internship at the Yale Outdoor Education Center, which is a campground with camping sites, kayak rentals, and other recreational outdoor experiences. The Center is free to use for residents of East Lyme, CT as well as the greater Yale community. As part of the internship, Josh was also provided housing about an hour east of campus.
Josh is a Parks and Recreation and Tourism major with an outdoor leadership minor. His goal with his degree is to work at Yellowstone National Park and eventually work in the management sector of the National Parks. He wants to be able to have access to and fully appreciate the culture and values within these communities.
Josh is one of the many fraternity members that make Greek life great on campus, and we wish him luck going forward with all of his goals and endeavors!