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Creating a Culture of Opportunity and Growth

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April 25, 2016

What makes you feel like a part of a community? For many students at MIT, community involves being a part of the FSILG family.

One of the MIT fraternities on-campus that truly treasures owning its own house is Theta Delta Chi (TDC). Theta Delta Chi has allowed many of its members to step up and take on leadership roles that have ultimately shaped their MIT experience. Graduating senior, Nicolas Gomez ’16 is an example of this. 

In his positions as President and House Manager, Gomez has had his hands in many initiatives to physically improve and create a house that all the brothers wanted to see. He has implemented large-scale projects, such as painting the first and second floors of the house, building a gazebo in the courtyard, tiling the laundry room, and renovating two bathrooms. The most impressive thing about this is the fact that all of this work was completed by TDC members.

“That is what makes me proud of TDC,” said Gomez, “that we solve our problems ourselves; that we are self-sufficient and try to expand what we can do each year.”
 
Gomez never imagined himself as a leader before joining TDC, he usually referred to himself as a follower. Since joining the brotherhood and being President, Gomez has realized how his decisions could directly impact the house’s culture. As President, Gomez had to draw on his resilience to quell conflict, strengthen the chapter’s relationship with its national fraternity, and improve TDC’s member communities.

“I learned a lot about myself and what kind of person I am when I have all the power and when I have none,” said Gomez. “I found leadership to be stressful and hard, but it is something that I now strive to keep in my life.”
 
Gomez rushed TDC because he experienced unprecedented acceptance and openness by the other brothers. He described TDC’s sense of family within the fraternity and the “come be you with us” attitude. Gomez has gained friends and mentors through TDC, one of whom he credits for the guidance through his Course 1 studies and into the MEng program.
 
“TDC offered me opportunities to not only improve myself, but the world I was a part of,” said Gomez.

TDC also led Gomez to become a SAT tutor. After joining the program, he quickly ascended to the position of co-director for the subset serving local low-income high school students. In all of these positions, Gomez has been exposed to the responsibilities and trust associated with the house’s autonomy. It has empowered him to grow and give back to the community.

He said, “I think that’s the strength of TDC, we can help you develop what you think the best parts of yourself are, and there will be someone here to support you.”

Additional contributions by Stephanie Tran.

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