Richard Schraeger ’13

We had the chance to connect with one of our outstanding alumni, Richard Schraeger ’13, to ask him what life has been like since college, and what Phi Psi has meant for him over the years.

What made you want to join Phi Psi?
The commitment to service, academics, and brotherhood.
What are some of your cherished Phi Psi memories? Three-time Songfest Champion, late night conversations with brothers, Valpo basketball games, and being selected as the Kyle Carson Fraternity Man of the Year in 2016.

How did your parents react to you joining Phi Psi?
My parents were surprised at first, but after explaining my reasons for wanting to join they saw the lifelong benefits provided by the Fraternity. Everyone understands the social benefits of being a member of a fraternity, but the academic, interpersonal, and professional opportunities are why people continue to support these organizations. Without Phi Psi, I wouldn’t have met my wife or achieved the level of success in my career; I owe a lot to this chapter and to the National Fraternity.

What surprised you about Phi Psi after you joined?
What shocked me the most, and still does to this day, is how 40 young men can rally around a core theme and stick to it. In my professional experience, it’s hard to get 10 people to stay on the same page and see a project through. With Phi Psi, we had a level of mutual respect that enabled us to get everyone to support an event, brother, or organization on campus without much effort. It’s a rare opportunity to experience and it’s something I look for in my career.

Since graduating, how have you stayed connected or involved with Phi Psi?
I recently became involved with the Chapter Advisor Team along with serving on the House Corporation. I look forward to expanding my involvement in the chapter in the future.

What would you say to a potential new member about Phi Psi?
The brothers are genuine and transparent on what they expect of new members. We expect a lot from our brothers because we strive to be the best and expect to be well-respected on campus. If you buy in and believe in our mission, the chapter will return that investment for the rest of your life.

Since graduating, what kind of work have you done?
I started my career as a Meteorologist for AccuWeather for Business in 2016. I moved into an Account Manager role in 2019 and was promoted to Senior Account Executive in 2020. In 2022, I was promoted into a sales strategy role, Sales Application Engineer, where I focused on sales and business process improvements, along with new hire training and strategic planning for the division. Recently, I accepted a Senior Project Manager position at Do it Best Corp., focusing on implementing IT innovations for our members and organization.

I also started my MBA at Purdue Fort Wayne in 2022 and plan on graduating with my degree in Data Analytics in the spring of 2024.

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Would you like to be featured in a future issue of The Wolfcall? Or do you know a brother who should be featured? Email and let us know at lgf@pkpfoundation.org.

Chapter President Kaden Baker ’21

The semester began with us welcoming 17 new members, all of whom are engaged, involved, academically astute, social, young men. We are excited as our newest members engage with the brotherhood and take on leadership roles.

After a several year hiatus, due to the pandemic, we hosted the Phi Psi Chili Cook-Off event. During the semester we raised over $2,600 from the Chili Cook-Off and Dance Marathon. We had further success in intramurals, taking home the soccer and floor hockey championships in dominant fashion.

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life hosted the annual awards ceremony, which recognizes individuals and organizations. During the ceremony we received six awards. Highlights included receiving the Chapter Excellence Award and the Most Improved Chapter Award. Additionally, three brothers won individual awards. Nick Wolf ’22 recieved the Intramural Player of the Year Award, Aidan Obermueller ’22 won the Emerging Leader Award, and Nathan Janke ’21 took home the Chapter President Award.

The other significant highlight was recognizing and honoring our Chapter Advisor, Zach Albers ’03 as the North American Interfraternity Conference Chapter Advisor of the Year. We could not be more blessed and proud that Brother Albers was recognized with this honor out of all fraternity chapter advisors – thousands throughout the country.

These awards showcased and reinforced the hard work and dedication we’ve put into the chapter over the last 18 months. We look forward to continuing this positive trajectory as we enter the 2023-2024 academic year.

Ode To Scott Rodseth ’04 & Chris Ciupke ’01

I wanted to take a few moments in this edition of The Wolfcall to inform the brotherhood that both House Corporation President Scott Rodseth ’04 and House Corporation Treasurer Chris Ciupke ’01 will be stepping back from their current leadership positions on the House Corporation to assist in a more general advisory capacity. Both Scott and Chris have served on the House Corporation for nearly 10 years and have made lasting contributions.

As all current alumni and undergraduates know, Scott and Chris have been instrumental in the current success of Valpo Phi Psi and have placed the chapter on a path to prosperity with the completion of the new chapter house. While many played a key role in the project, these two stood out in their contributions to the effort. While certainly a labor of love, the chapter house project was a lot of work in addition to the roles and responsibilities required to support the chapter by volunteering with the House Corporation.

I have officially taken over the role of House Corporation President. With the addition of Anthony Luciano ’19 as our new Treasurer and Richard Schraeger ’13 as our new Vice President, we know we have big shoes to fill for those who are irreplaceable.

I would encourage you to reach out to both Scott (scott.rodseth@gmail.com) and Chris (cjciupke@gmail.com) and thank them for all the work they have done for the chapter these last 10 years. We would not be here without them. I would also ask you to reflect during this time of transition on how you might give back to the House Corporation or the chapter. Whether it is serving on the House Corporation or assisting with a special project that interests you, alumni engagement is critical to our success.

In the bond,

Matt Solak ’05
House Corporation President