Joining Phi Delta Theta will be one of the best decisions you have made in your lifetime. You will continue your service to the Fraternity as an alumni volunteer leader, and your work with chapters across North America will pave a path for your son when he ventures off to college.
Dave Kovacovich, Arizona State ’97
Hey Buddy,
I understand you are interested in joining a fraternity. I think this is a really wise choice! Now, I am sure your initial consideration is based on finding a place to party and meet girls. That will happen, but as your fifty-year-old self, I’d like to explain some more important attributes that Phi Delta Theta will afford you.
Life is a culmination of our choices, good for good and bad for bad. The significance of decision-making during college is ten times as relevant as any other phase in life. The Fraternity will instill the Cardinal Principle of Rectitude in you, serving as the needle on your moral compass. During moments of decision-making, your brothers will stand alongside you to guide you in the right direction. In their absence, the teachings of The Bond will steer you toward the optimal path forward.
You will learn more about running a business during your time as chapter president than you will in any class. Finance, event management, risk management, decision-making, organization, time management, alumni relations, university community building, philanthropic devotion, and academia—these are all things you will devote yourself to as a Phi that are far more beneficial than the social aspect of the Fraternity. But don’t underestimate the social grace you will learn as part of Phi Delta Theta. Today, young people spend 50 percent less time outside than we did. They have also suffered in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. All this is to say that there has never been a more important time to be part of a fraternal organization. Thanks to all you have learned as a Phi, you’ll be incredibly successful in business. Each day, you will interact with people in the professional world, solidifying your social Rectitude. Many have spent far too much time with their eyes on a small screen. Thank God that Phi Delta Theta brought you away from your phone and into social development for the good of the human race.
What we do at Phi Delta Theta is important. You will come to understand that alcohol impairs decision-making. Things like substance-free housing may seem unfair at the moment, but I promise you this lifestyle adjustment could very well save your life. It is worth it. Everything worth doing requires extended commitment and a bit of discomfort.
What you learn as rush chairman and social chairman will benefit your life as a sales professional. Your time spent as a leader in IFC will help you understand the larger community and how important it is to be inclusive of everyone as you develop as a person and a professional. You will venture to Mother Oxford to meet 1,000 Phis experiencing a similar life journey. This will help you understand the vastness of the Phi Delta Theta network. There are 275,000 living Phis in every industry; one will help you get a job, and many will help you grow your business. Phis are always willing to help other Phis.
About having fun and finding a life partner—that will work out for you, too. You’ll meet a Pi Phi and start a family with her. All that you learned as part of this amazing Fraternity will help you be the greatest husband and father that you can possibly be!
Life gets serious when you get to college. A lot is on the line, and the future is uncertain. But, hey, don’t forget to have fun! College is the most important time in your life, and you should benefit from all the experience it has to offer you.
Joining Phi Delta Theta will be one of the best decisions you have made in your lifetime. You will continue your service to the Fraternity as an alumni volunteer leader, and your work with chapters across North America will pave a path for your son when he ventures off to college.
And so the world evolves, it will seem like things are taking forever to fall perfectly into place, but I assure you, time goes by in a flash. Time is a gift, and how you spend it is extremely important. I am so proud that you dedicated your time to Phi Delta Theta. The world is a better place for it! Go now and change the world for the better—because you can!
Yours in The Bond,
Dave Kovacovich
Thirty years after signing The Bond.
Brother David Kovacovich is a graduate of Arizona State University. David served in many offices as an undergraduate, including chapter president and IFC vice president. Brother Kovacovich currently serves as the Omicron Northwest province president and is the lead facilitator of the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership. David was awarded the Oliver J. Samuel Outstanding Province President of the Biennium in 2023. He lives in Silicon Valley with his wife Valerie (Pi Beta Phi), son Sam, and daughter Marley.
