Pi Lambda Phi expands to Florida International University
Pi Lambda Phi is continually seeking opportunities for the growth of our brotherhood and in the fall of 2024 the IHQ sent an expansion team to one of the largest colleges in Florida, Florida International University (FIU) in Miami-Dade County.
As the second largest university in Florida, FIU was a target rich environment. Executive Director, Ian Lowe said, “The University is making a conscious effort to grow Greek life and they have been very helpful.”
Pilam had the benefit of a large and supportive alumni base in the Miami area, but starting from scratch was not without its challenges. Pilam had no history there, and FIU is primarily a commuter school with a lot of International students.
Setting a foundation with a solid group of founding fathers
The IHQ put “boots on the ground” to personally connect with students at tabling events and one-on-one conversations. The high ideals of Pilam tend to change the minds of students who say, “I never thought about joining a fraternity.”
The expansion team of Brian Moore and Jesus Cayado quickly identified a few candidates who had leadership qualities and got them on board.
Christian Pol was a Pilam brother who transferred from FSU, and would become the first FIU chapter rex. His experiences at FSU drove him to continue the Pilam tradition to a new group of brothers at FIU.
He said of his experiences at FSU, “I formed really good relationships with the guys at FSU in a very short time. I have great friends that I still talk to today. Pilam helped me open up and step out of my shell. It also motivated me to achieve more. We had mandatory study hours that really focused us on academics. Pilam taught me how to be a leader.”
Eduardo “Eddie” Aljure is a senior majoring in International Relations. Eddie was one of the first new members to sign on and is now the VP of Recruitment for the chapter. Eddie has served in the Florida Army National Guard since 2019, and is in the ROTC program on track to become an officer when he graduates. He is currently pursuing the challenging path to fly helicopters for the US Army.
Eddie said, “What really made me want to join was meeting Ian Lowe. He shared his military background and the fraternity’s interest in brothers who serve. That really appealed to me. He showed me the other alumni with proud military backgrounds. It also sounded like a great networking opportunity.”
Joel Mulet, a fellow ROTC cadet who will also become an officer in the US Army when he graduates, is the chapter’s Event Coordinator. Joel said he, “liked that a lot of alumni are famous, like Mark Cuban and Kevin James. And I was impressed by the fraternity’s ideals.”
He had a desire to leave a mark at FIU by establishing a Pilam chapter saying. “I feel like I’ll have lifelong bonds that won’t be broken.”
As the chapter event coordinator, he also enjoyed another fringe benefit, “meeting the beautiful ladies in the sororities.”
Time to take off
The colony has recruited 20 members and is continuing to spread the word to RUSH new members. They are collaborating with other fraternities and campus organizations to increase the fraternity’s visibility and involvement in campus life.
Eddie Aljure said, “This semester has really taken off and we’ve gotten more exposure now that people know we exist on campus.”
Interested in starting or re-establishing a chapter?
The IHQ has dedicated, professional staff focused on Pi Lambda Phi expansion, and is interested in inactive chapters with strong alumni support. Recent successful expansions include East Stroudsburg, Lehigh, and the University of Iowa.
Contact the IHQ to learn more about chapter expansion support.
Where to next?
Pilam is actively working on plans to expand to four major schools. More news to come…