As Summer Rush begins next week, I wanted to recap one of the most impactful semesters in our Chapter’s history. Spring 25′ will forever be known as the shifting point in our chapter where we learn from past mistakes, and come out with a better future.
First, the semester started with a magnificent Recruitment-themed course taught by the Vice President of Recruitment, Spring Agency, Austin Steel, and his Rush Chair, Luis Marquez. They planned and hosted a lively week between January 20th and January 24th with five recruitment events altogether. Their hard work of contacting members and focusing their efforts bore fruit; 14 great new brothers joined our chapter. All of our new brothers symbolize the ideal of a Balanced Man, and we are certain they will continue to have a long-lasting influence on our brotherhood in the upcoming years.
Professionally, we also had a fantastic semester experience, which is the first collaboration event called From Greek Letters & Paws to Professional Success on January 30, 2025, in the Graham Center Ballrooms and Faculty Club. Jointly sponsored by the FIU Center for Fraternity & Sorority Enrichment, Career and Talent Development, CINTAS, and Sigma Phi Epsilon, the event united fraternity and sorority members with Greek alumni in a dedicated afternoon of career-building and meaningful networking. The preparation program included a review of resumes, mock interviews, and alumni panel discussions to provide students with the expected tools and insider access to life after college. One thing that stood out was the Business-Professional Modeling session, where they combined career readiness with the concept of real-time feedback and having the audience get accustomed to FIU has VMock resume and cover letter polishing tool. And of course, there were therapy dogs to make the whole experience welcoming and relaxed, to help emphasize one more time that mental well-being is the key to career success. We are particularly happy to announce that next year, that is 2026, we will have Al Madrigal, our own, as the Chair of this pivotal event, and the next one will take place officially in March. Florida Nu is committed to supporting our brothers succeeding in college and long after college.
To continue with professional success, we brought back one of Florida Nu’s favorite traditions: Stocks & Cigars, held on February 12th, 2025, at City Cigar Lounge in Downtown Miami. This event gave brothers a chance to kick back, light up a cigar, and have real conversations about investing, money management, and life after college. With 25 brothers in attendance, the night struck the perfect balance between relaxation and real-world value. We invited alumni from our Florida Nu Chapter to talk to the guys. about financial advice, information about stocks, cryptocurrency, and much more. Stocks & Cigars reminded us that professional success isn’t just about resumes and interviews, it’s about being prepared, financially aware, and always looking ahead. At Florida Nu, we’re building that mindset together.
On the philanthropic front, our biggest splash came from the 10th Annual Red Door Classic—Florida Nu’s signature charity golf tournament—played on March 7, 2025, at Miami Shores Country Club. Golfers, sponsors, and volunteers packed the course for a day that was equal parts friendly competition and serious fundraising. Thanks to everyone’s support, the tournament brought in $75,900 this year, pushing the event’s lifetime total to more than $475,000 since its 2015 debut. Proceeds were split among three causes close to the chapter’s heart:
- SigEp Learning Community Facility operations endowment
- The Buoniconti Fund/Miami Project for spinal-cord-injury research
- First-Generation Scholarships for SigEp members at FIU
The result? A day on the greens that turned drives and putts into real-world impact for students and medical research alike. We’re already teeing up plans to make the 2026 Classic even bigger and better—so keep your eyes on that red door.
On the community services side of things, one of the most successful outreach efforts that Florida Nu organized during the semester was Dr. Seuss Day 2025, which it is proud to present. Through the event, more than 70 volunteers attended two schools in the community and conducted the activities to celebrate reading, mentorship, and literacy. The initial visit was made on February 28th at the Pinecrest Academy South Charter School, where brothers would read to classrooms, conduct arts and crafts, and assist in the animation of age-old stories by Dr. Seuss. Not much later, on March 3rd, the initiative went on in Mae M. Walters Elementary School, and again our volunteers shared storytime, talks, and themed learning sessions based on imagination and expression with the students. The Seuss-inspired outfits combined with characteristics of the colorful, bright clothes made by the brothers promoted a positive environment that transformed every classroom into a place of wonder and adventure. Be it transmitting The Cat in the Hat or assisting students in making rhyme like a pro, we were aiming to enthuse a long-lasting appeal of reading and enhance the schools that receive our community at large. We would also like to give a sincere appreciation to the other organizations that volunteered to make this event so successful: Phi Mu, Alpha Xi Delta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Phi Epsilon, and Alpha Kappa Psi. Thanks to you and your involvement, we could not have succeeded without you being here–and more importantly, to those students whom you inspired.
On the academic front, Florida Nu remained a role model. Our chapter also recorded a remarkable 3.3 GPA this spring, which is the highest in IFC among chapters having more than 12 brothers, and we ended up 4th in the whole council in the Interfraternity Council. Those systems of accountability, discipline, and support have created this success. From organized study time, scholarly guidance, and a culture of excellence that emphasized achievement in and out of the classroom, our brothers have been each other in striving to become their best on campus and off campus. With our eyes firmly set in the future, we are still more determined than ever to set the bar even higher in academics and keep demonstrating our values with a good performance both in and out of the classroom.
To conclude the Spring semester, on April 18th in Miami, the Gardens of Weber Manor was the location where Florida Nu held its 2025 SigEp Formal. Brother, guests, and close friends of the chapter came together that evening to celebrate, look back, and experience brotherhood that is built to last. It will also be accompanied by a dinner, dancing, and a program, set in an outdoor scenic environment which shows the values and achievements that make the semester. One of the things we were most proud to do was offer a few awards to brothers who had gone above and beyond, which would earn them special recognition in our chapter:
Brother of the Year: Max Oses
New Brother of the Year: Alejandro “AL” Madrigal
Best Sound of Mind Award: Evan Sarria
Sound Body Award: Noel Leon
We were also blessed to award Katherine Cano, Isabella Rodriguez, and Mafe Caserta as the newest Pearls to Florida Nu as they continue to support us as a chapter in Florida. Their presence and interaction have left an unforgettable impression on our chapter and the brotherhood we are still developing. Our SigEp Formal was a wonderful and capable ending to the semester, and a final grouping of our brothers one last time before summer, bonded again by our beliefs in Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love. The team is eager to bring the same vibes into future semesters.
As we turn the page on Spring 2025, never has the future of Florida Nu looked brighter. As the long-awaited Jelke Learning Community is getting finished this fall, the new era is coming, an era that will uplift the academic, professional, and fraternal experience of every brother. It also sounds thrilling to welcome our brand new Wine Etiquette Series, which is meant to be a part of our Balanced Man program and will give a certain sophistication and real-life preparation to Balanced Man.
Another thing you can look forward to in this upcoming semester will be our much-awaited Brotherhood Retreat, which will give us a good chance of cleaning up, returning to our Brotherly bond together out of the confines of the classroom. And we will, of course, keep holding powerful philanthropic events, service projects, and signature campus events that make us who we are as a Florida Nu SigEp. We have the energy behind us and we are strong-centered with our values on what we do, and we are delighted with where we have been and more so where we go in the future.
Welcome, 2025 incoming freshmen, let yourself be part of the greater whole. Submit a Balanced Man Scholarship application, and become a step closer to being part of a group that is dedicated to developing leaders, growing individuals, and excelling in all of these. Rush SigEp. Create your legacy.