Rising senior Steve Shulman participated this summer in a one-of-a-kind leadership development program through his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. The program, called the Ruck Leadership Institute, is a five-day interactive immersion experience with fellow undergraduate members of Sigma Phi Epsilon and alumni facilitators.
Shulman was one of 120 men selected to attend the institute from Sigma Phi Epsilon’s more than 15,000 collegiate members. The Ruck Leadership Institute focuses on the leadership principles outlined in The Leadership Challenge, co-written by Barry Posner, a Sigma Phi Epsilon alumnus. The program aligns itself with Sigma Phi Epsilon’s mission, “Building Balanced Men.”
Shulman is pursuing a degree in finance and minor in chemistry, and serves as acting president of Elon’s chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He was selected to attend the Ruck Institute because of his extensive commitment to his chapter and success in academics.
“Elon professors have done a great job of providing me with understanding and appreciation of my coursework, but being in SigEp and going to Ruck has helped me develop leadership skills, both of which I’ll rely on after I graduate,” he said.
The Ruck Leadership Institute is named in honor of Frank J. Ruck Jr., a former Grand President of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a visionary in developing leaders. He was an inspiration for many generations of fraternity members to reach their full potential as leaders in all aspects of their lives.
Sigma Phi Epsilon, established in 1901, is one of the nation’s largest fraternities, with more than 15,000 undergraduates on 240 campuses across the United States. Its mission is “Building Balanced Men,” which is achieved through a four-year member development program that has contributed to a fraternity-wide GPA above 3.0, a focus on the principles of “Sound Mind and Sound Body” and service-learning efforts that allow members to develop leadership skills while giving back to the community.