Throughout my first semester at Ohio State University, I was involved in the process of founding a Christian fraternity on campus. At the start of the semester, a group of 12 men were committed to founding a chapter of Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX), the largest Christian fraternity in the country, at Ohio State. I was lucky enough to be one of those 12 men. In order to be initiated as an official chapter, we needed to have at least 15 guys committed to joining the fraternity. The first 6-8 weeks of the semester were spent meeting with potential recruits and explaining the purpose of bringing BYX to Ohio State and what it would look like once it is officially initiated. Once we finally had 15 men who were committed, it was time to fund raise. As a group, we needed to come up with $3,500 to cover the expenses of actually becoming an initiated chapter. This proved to be difficult, but we eventually succeeded and were finally ready to be initiated. On November 6th, 2018, the Alpha Omega Chapter of Beta Upsilon Chi was founded at The Ohio State University.
The process of founding BYX was a catalyst for my maturing during this semester. I experienced obstacles that I will face as I take on more responsibility in different aspects of my life. My interpersonal skills were challenged and developed during the recruiting process and into the fundraising process. I was most refined by the relationships I formed with the other guys in the fraternity. There is something unique about a Christian atmosphere that allows brotherhood to be vulnerable and good. Having these kinds of relationships has matured me because it is the first time I was able to experience vulnerability, but, at the same time, have a great time spreading the love of God to the people around us.