THE CONSULTANT CONNECTION

by Rachel Greene

AS COLLEGE GRADUATION APPROACHES at the end of the spring semester each year, there exists a sense of panic among the graduates, a collective rush to get the perfect first job, jumpstart their careers and ensure they’ve set themselves up for success. In this mad rush to enter the “real world” and join the workforce, many undergraduate members overlook what may not be such a wild leap into the future but rather a step forward that is guided by an organization they already know and love; the opportunity to be a Pi Kappa Phi consultant.

Whether referred to as “leadership consultants,” “growth consultants” or some other variation of the name, the core role and responsibilities of this position remain the same; help chapters reach their ultimate potential while connecting them directly with the National Fraternity. While the position and responsibilities remain the same, every consultant visit is unique. Likewise, each “consultant class,” the men who serve as consultants within the same year, has a special bond that connects them for their year on staff and the rest of their lives.

One testament to the lifelong connections, memories and dedication to the Fraternity formed during one’s time as a consultant is Ted Scharfenstein, Beta Beta (Florida Southern). His four years on Pi Kappa Phi staff began in June 1961, when the consultant role known to members today was called a “traveling counselor.” Back then, National Headquarters was still in South Carolina. During his time as a traveling counselor, he witnessed the challenges and turmoil faced by chapters around the nation amid the Vietnam War. Philanthropic efforts and leadership development were forced to take the back burner to more crucial pieces of the undergraduate experience, such as recruitment and chapter operations. Chapters were losing members to the war effort, and with their sudden absence went much of the institutional knowledge passed down through generations of membership. Undergraduate members were struggling just to keep their chapters afloat while grappling with the reality of a world consumed by war.

Though his time as a consultant was challenging, it was also incredibly rewarding. Through his continued volunteerism with Pi Kappa Phi over the years, Scharfenstein has directly connected with and mentored those who have followed in his consultant footsteps, such as Andrae Turner, Eta Rho (Texas State), and current historian on National Council. “The fraternity experience has given me too much to ever repay, and this was one way I could give back,” said Turner when asked what had initially compelled him to apply for the consultant position. Similarly, Scharfenstein said, “When I was offered the job, I happily accepted. I had enjoyed my experience in college and thought this would be a terrific way to stay involved with the Fraternity, see the country and figure out what I wanted to do as a career.” While their individual experiences were decades apart, they still mirror each other; after an incredible undergraduate experience, there seemed like no better way to transition out of college and into the real world than to work for the organization that had guided them through their undergraduate years. A component of the program that is often not apparent to those outside it is the networking aspect. Scharfenstein helped Turner secure his current full-time position. Many consultants have similar stories of the connections they made while on staff as bridging the gap between their undergraduate experience and their dream careers. Whether they networked within Pi Kappa Phi before

being offered a consultant role, connected with a member of the Fraternity within their desired field or honed networking skills during their time on the road, the consultant experience provides individuals with real-world skills and connections that are invaluable.

The mentorship and networking aspect of the Fraternity experience have not been lost on future consultant Jonathon Lewellyn, Iota Rho (Western Illinois), who will be serving on staff as a member of the 2023-24 consultant team. Much like Scharfenstein, Lewellyn was offered the consultant role due to his impressive accomplishments as an undergraduate member, including terms as treasurer and archon of his chapter, as well as the connections he formed through participation in Gear Up Florida and the Council of Archons. As a future consultant, he is excited to learn while on the road and have the opportunity to help current chapters while also playing an active role in the Fraternity’s expansion to new campuses and building Pi Kappa Phi’s newest chapters from the ground up. “To be able to start a new chapter, or bring a previously closed one back to campus, is a unique opportunity that I could not pass up,” said Lewellyn when asked what motivated him to take on this role. Recruiting, especially for a new chapter, takes a unique skill set, one that he hopes to cultivate further through his time as a consultant.

As a former consultant who worked on the expansion team from 2014 to 2015, a time when the Fraternity was focused on opening new chapters, Cameron Woods, Iota Omicron (Iona), is familiar with the skillset it takes to recruit the next generation of Pi Kappa Phi brothers. As a founding father of his chapter, he had a unique perspective on what it means to build a legacy. “To a newly chartered chapter,” said Woods, “National Headquarters was a welcome visitor and a reminder that the men were a part of something larger than themselves. In older chapters, sometimes it is easy to label National Headquarters staff as the rules people and the tax collectors and lose sight of the bigger picture. Consultants bridge the gap, building trust and relationships.” As a consultant, he says that he gained a crucial set of “soft” skills that he utilizes every day personally and professionally, as well as lifelong connections with those he met during his time in the program. He keeps in touch regularly with members of his consultant team and the consultants who came before and after him. There is a sense of brotherhood, not just because they are members of Pi Kappa Phi, but because their shared consultant experience bonds them together.

Though their consultant years took place at different times, with different names for the role, with different undergraduate members and in different places, the aforementioned men all agreed that being a consultant for Pi Kappa Phi is one of the most significant decisions they have made throughout their lives. Whether they just needed a bit of time to decide which direction to go regarding their career, wanted to gain experience that would prepare them for their future workplace or wanted to strengthen their ties to the Fraternity, they all agreed that the consultant role provided them with an irreplaceable time for growth, exploration, leadership, connection and reignition of their dedication to Pi Kappa Phi. “There is plenty of time to step into the real world,” says Woods, “but the opportunity to be a consultant, and to learn the lessons this role teaches you, is once in a lifetime.”