FOUNDATION FOCUS
THE A Newsletter of the Triangle Education Foundation
Alumni Spotlight: Fareed Dibazar ucsd12
by Alex Williams, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement & Stewardship
the private health sector and do compliance and vendor relations now. I joined Triangle my junior year at UC-San Diego on a dare (actually), and I’ve been doubling down on the bit ever since. Over three years as an active, I have been 1) Philanthropy Director, 2) VP-External, 3) President, 4) and Rush Chair. As an alumnus, I’ve been Chapter Advisor for roughly seven years and just won UC-San Diego Greek Life’s Chapter Advisor of the Year. I was recently just elected onto National Council.
Q: How did your time in Triangle as an active prepare you for your career?
with a nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) company in Phoenix, Arizona. Our company is a brokerage that has contracts with both the state government and Medicaid to complete NEMT runs for major health plans like United Health, Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, and the Arizona Department of Child Safety. My job is to essentially verify that our company and our contracted vendors are in compliance with all our contractual and legal requirements with the State and individual health plans, which is to say: I inspect and audit everything.
Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and give a background on your Triangle, academic, and professional journeys?
A: I went to UC-San Diego for a double major in evolutionary biology and political science, worked in the biotech and health sectors, then did my master’s in public health at the University of Southern California before pivoting into emergency services just as the pandemic broke out. After two years, I came back to
A: Broadly, I’d say it helped prepare me for project and personnel management in the workforce. I think that selfreflection aspect of Triangle, coupled with the strategic thinking you need to develop to manage a chapter of young guys in their 20s really sets up STEM students to take ownership of their careers/any workplace they join.
Q: What is your current occupation, and what does it entail?
A: I’m a healthcare compliance officer
Q: Are there any specific skills or knowledge you gained from your time at Triangle that has been particularly valuable in your career?
A: Again, broadly, I’d say learning how to 1) plan, 2) manage risks, 3) manage and delegate different teams and people, and 4) build contingencies to anticipate problems before they happen are all career skillsets that Triangle helped me develop. Building an organization-wide strategy by synthesizing these
different domains of knowledge is also something that highlights how much even the “bad” experiences running a chapter of Triangle set alumni apart. I also want to emphasize that radical (but tactful) honesty and sincerity (i.e. “Veritas Omnia Vincit”) are so much rarer these days in the working world. They’re invaluable tools and commodities in an increasingly superficial and transaction-oriented society like ours.
Q: How do you stay connected with Triangle as an alumnus? What advice would you give to others looking to be involved as alumni?
A: I have to admit, a large portion of my involvement the last six or seven years since graduating has been almost exclusively oriented around making sure the UCSD chapter doesn’t disappear, so it’s been pretty easy to stay connected when there is an overarching goal. For new alumni, I would say to make an active intention to catch up with your home chapter’s brothers at least once a month, even if it’s just on Discord or playing video games once a week. It’s important to remain consistent and maintain sincere actions whether inside or outside of Triangle events. Every opportunity to build a relationship with the national organization is an opportunity to expand into a new industry and benefit from knowledge and mentorship. For alumni looking to become entrepreneurs, this is an especially a good opportunity for you to develop networking skills.
Q: Finally, is there anything else you would like to add or share about your journey or experience as an alumnus of Triangle?
A: It’s surreal to think I joined Triangle because a classmate and I both picked an organization for each other to troll at the campus club rush, and here I am 10 years later, about to be inducted onto the National Council as the first Muslim councilman. The Code of Ethics, specifically #5 and #10, “Help create in my chapter home an environment in which enduring friendships can be formed,” and “Pay the price of success,” have always inspired me to share my knowledge and wisdom with others. If you’re truly sincere with your intentions, you’ll always find a way through difficulties. Applying that to Triangle, there are always brothers willing to help out or at least hear you out if they know you need it. Reach out and get involved (ideally with Triangle); you never know where it’ll take you, either in your personal or professional life. I mean again, I joined this organization on a dare, and as my Big Brother once said, “Hey, crazier things have happened…”
What New Retirement Laws Mean for You
By Scott Bova, PresidentSpring is a great time to open the windows, smell the fresh air, and get things organized. That should include your estate plan, and there are new retirement laws that may affect your saving and giving decisions.
These new laws include changes, known collectively as “Secure 2.0,” and they may make it even easier for you to help us fulfill the mission of Triangle for years to come.
Some highlights to Secure 2.0 that involve charitable giving:
1. Increase in required minimum distribution (RMD) age
Retirees must now begin taking taxable withdrawals at age 73 in 2023, up from the previous 72. This will be going up to 75 by 2033.
This change gives individuals more time to save or in a volatile economy for stocks to recover, letting them enjoy additional tax-free growth.
2. Adjustment to the annual limit on direct gifts to qualified charities from IRAs.
Currently, those 70½ or older can give up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to a qualified charity like the Triangle Education Foundation without paying income taxes on the distribution. Beginning in 2024, this number will be adjusted annually for inflation.
3. New way to fund a life income gift to Triangle: a distribution from your IRA.
If you are 70½ or older, you can fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA) with the Triangle Education Foundation by
making a one-time election of up to $50,000 (without being taxed on the distribution) from your IRA. NOTE: this opportunity comes with special rules, so contact the Foundation to see if this option is right for you.
Let’s talk!
The Foundation can help answer any additional questions you might have about how the new retirement laws affect your charitable giving. Contact Scott Bova at 317-705-9803 or via email at SBova@Triangle.org to start a conversation about your legacy to Triangle and your chapter.
