Professional business fraternity? Co-ed fraternity? How does that even work? Most of us associate the word “fraternity” with large groups of men sporting greek letters and partying. “Professional” is not a word we would necessarily put in the same sentence as “fraternity,” nor would we think a “co-ed” fraternity is even possible. Most freshmen would dismiss this idea and go for traditional sororities and fraternities, but two and a half years ago, Ms. Ruby Wong decided that she would investigate and figure out just what a co-ed professional business fraternity entailed. Initiated as a freshman and elected to the executive board every year since then, third-year Ruby is the definition of involved and passionate.
And what more could you want from the president of any organization?
Tell us a bit about Delta Sigma Pi and how it’s different from other fraternities.
Delta Sigma Pi is an international professional co-ed business fraternity. Built on core values such as leadership, professionalism, community service, and brotherhood, DSP strives to bring together like-minded and driven students to help each other grow and find opportunities into the business world. A lot of our activities revolve around professional development and in general attract an entirely different audience [from a typical, IFC-affiliated fraternity.] A more applicable comparison would be to look at Delta Sigma Pi against other professional fraternities. A lot of the professional fraternities out there serve the same general purpose; to develop its members, motivate members toward their chosen career path, and to provide opportunities for teamwork and leadership. Now, what distinguishes Delta Sigma Pi from other fraternities at UCSD are simply the people and the culture within our chapter. This Fraternity is where I have met my best friends, my mentors, and where I have developed a family away from home – as cheesy as it may sound.
Why did you choose Delta Sigma Pi?
Initially, what I was searching for was professional development opportunities and a group of friends. I chose Delta Sigma Pi because after attending a few of their events, I knew they had what I was looking for. Before committing to Delta Sigma Pi, I did my research and explored all the other business organization options on campus. What really won me over was, yes, the impressive National Fraternity background (over 300,000 alumni, members, and sponsors in various fields of business and research), but also just the brothers that I met at recruitment. Every brother I met there had job and internship experience, spoke incredibly highly of the fraternity, and seemed to be really close to one another – immediately, I made it my goal to be in their shoes.
Did Delta Sigma Pi help you figure out your future?
Yes! Absolutely! When I first joined as a freshman, I had no idea what I wanted to pursue in the future – I only knew that I wanted to pursue something “business related.” During my pledge quarter, I had the chance to sit down with every brother and ask about their career aspirations. It was a very educational process, hearing about their trial and errors, interview experiences, reasoning for certain career fields, etc. Also, Delta Sigma Pi has a huge alumni network. I eventually started reaching out to all the alumni working in my desired career and gained a new perspective on what it would take to get my foot in the door. To sum it up, without Delta Sigma Pi, I probably would have taken a lot longer to figure out my career, let alone how to get there. My brothers (collegiate and alumni) essentially helped me draw up a roadmap of college while I was a freshman and definitely accelerated the process of figuring out my future!
So what do you want to do in the future and how are you working toward it?
I want to work in a Big Four Accounting Firm as an external auditor. Elaborating on what I said earlier, just talking to people helped me figure out what I wanted to do. I was advised very early on to keep up my GPA and to gain as much leadership and job/internship experience as I can. Throughout my time here at UCSD, I’ve held various jobs and positions in accounting and finance, while developing my leadership skills through Delta Sigma Pi and the Undergraduate Accounting Society. I attended every single workshop offered by the Career Center and UAS relating to Big Four, and utilized every opportunity I got to meet people working there already. And finally this year, I am happy that my hard work paid off. After going through recruitment this year, I finally landed the internship of my dreams as an External Audit Intern for Deloitte and Touche!
What other activities do you do?
By the end of 2014, I will have completed 3 half-marathons (participating in the Triple Crown!), a 15K race, a 10K race, and a 5K race. I also play a lot of volleyball. Every quarter since freshman year, I have played co-ed intramural volleyball. I am also the Philanthropy Chair of the Undergraduate Accounting Society, creating opportunities for our members to give back to the community.
If you could give other collegiate one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and be as active as possible! You are only given 4 years of college, so be sure to make the most out of your experience!