Of all the men we meet in our lives, few stack up to Alex Pan – certainly none of comparable age.
He’s a man who cares, gets results, and proceeds to find his next pursuit in his periphery. Pan is weary of long-term goals as he works micro-ambitiously daily to slowly build toward the desired end result. And most admirably, his drive is fueled by his love of the Pullman community – the very place he was born and raised.
Pan’s involvement with the Greek and greater Pullman community started freshman year in fall of 2017 – former VP of Recruitment Taylor Swanson and spent months recruiting him into SigEp. Upon a mutual acceptance into the fraternity, Pan flourish unlike anyone ever seen.
Within the fraternity, he ran for the executive board and lost because he was too qualified – yes, you read that correctly.
The chapter voted against Pan to force his hand into the position of the Balanced Man Scholarship. While not necessarily an executive position, the BMS chair plays an integral role in the future of the fraternity and Pan was clearly cut for the job in the best interest of the fraternity.
He expanded the application to 324 applicants from the preceding years 70. He distributed the scholarship to over 400 high school consolers cross the nation receiving interest from 24 states – far as Delaware and Rhode Island. The applicant pool averaged a 3.6 GPA, so Pan had to separate the bunch through 140 interviews seeking information on values and character traits. Through this effort, Pan bid and signed 21 high achieving applicants into the fraternity.
“He did such a good job with the BMS, it took a lot of weight off my shoulders. We were a team all summer, and it was clear to me how dedicated he was from the beginning,” former Vice President of Recruitment Ryan Pettit said.
Pan had also served the fraternity in day-to-day efforts as House manager. A thankless job, but necessary at every level of operation. Under his leadership, resolving issues regarding the chapter facility has never been smoother.
Additionally, Alex Pan serves in roles he has no obligation to fill – but assist because he cares. Well-connected around campus, Alex has created, submitted, and proposed more community service opportunities/events to the chapter membership than the appointed Community Service chair for two consecutive semesters. Community service events include two years of SigEp participation in the Lentil Fest, hanging up Christmas lights and wreaths for the city of Pullman, and set-up/take-down of cougar flags throughout downtown Pullman on game days.
“They’re honestly some of the best events. He always give us opportunities as a fraternity to serve, which is way more fun than going out by yourself for an event,” Junior Nick Zirkle said.
Pan even convinced a handful of SigEps to go with him to the Cliffs/Dunes to pick up garbage one slow afternoon. No community service was awarded and no incentive was provided – just Pan doing what he can to help the community in his free time.
Outside SigEp, Pan serves the Greek community often. He has worked under the former IFC Director of Policy & Procedure Aaron Fandel on the Greek Standards Board and furthermore worked as the 2019 Greek Week Director. In 2018, Alex Pan served the Greek Week Board as the Head of Sponsorship successful targeting 300 Greek students to support local business throughout the week-long event.
On campus, you can find Alex Pan serving the Carson College of Business as a college ambassador. Working a variety of roles, Pan gives tours, takes phone calls, and organizes networking events for undergraduates in Pullman.
“I swear, this kid never takes a break. My theory is he doesn’t sleep,” Junior Skyler Cannon said. “Seriously, I don’t know how he does it.”
And despite the multiplicity of his involvement, Alex Pan’s greatest accomplishment comes with his role in ASWSU as the Director of Community Affairs – he has no days off with the role.
From promoting safety, to voter registration, and everything in between, Alex makes that campus and community a better place.
For a young man so accomplished and connected, you won’t find anyone more selfless in their endeavors. Perhaps few in the Greek community know Alex Pan by face or name outside the brotherhood of Sigma Phi Epsilon, but everyone on campus – Greek or unaffiliated, student or faculty – is familiar with his work.
Pan makes an impact everywhere he goes. And his chapter, the Greek community, ASWSU, the university, the city of Pullman, and even Whitman County is better for it.
And we are proud to see him recognized as Washington State’s 2019 IFC Outstanding Greek of the Year.