The income gap between
college graduates and high school graduates is at an all-time high — and Utah
State University’s fraternities and sororities are actively working to make a university
education even more valuable.
According to a Feb. 11
report from the Pew Research Center, a full-time worker with at least a
bachelor’s degree will earn an average of $45,500 annually, while a worker with
no college degree will earn only $28,000.The report is based on a study, also
conducted by the center, which surveyed employment and economic data from the
2013 calendar year.
Those benefits can be
further extended through the networking opportunities offered through Greek
organizations, said Brian Speckhard, president of the Delta Sigma Phi chapter at
USU.
“The networking
opportunities are endless,” Speckhard said. “Being able to talk to any Delta
Sig and have an instant connection is really cool.”
Delta Sigma Phi hosts
leadership conferences for student and alumni members at its headquarters in
Indianapolis, Ind. And a group of fraternity members from USU had the
opportunity last year to meet with John Bilprey, a fellow Delta Sig and CEO of the
Hershey’s chocolate company.
“The CEO of Hershey's – that’s a pretty big
connection to have,” said Delta Sigma public relations chair Kody Riker.
Riker also noted academic
assistant benefits that often come with membership in sororities and
fraternities.
“We work closely with the
Academic Resource Center,” Riker said. “They provide our house with study
tools, and help us to enhance our study methods.”
But Maren Stromberg, an
assistant director in USU’s Career Services office, said all extracurricular
involvement — not just Greek affiliation — is valuable on a résumé.
“Employers like to see that
you can multitask while earning your degree,” Stromberg said. “Even if it
represents a lower GPA. Employers want to see collegiate involvement and
leadership which that involvement provides.”
Steven Kratz, the Los
Angeles branch manager for Peak Technical Staffing, a nationwide recruiting
company that specializes in matching engineers with lucrative jobs, said Greek
affiliation can add value to a resume, but anything that indicates an ability
to work with others is more beneficial.
“When you’re involved with a
fraternity, you get voted in. There’s not much more to it,” Katz said. “For a
student-athlete, for example, it shows stick-to-it-iveness, determination, and
the ability to work on a team.”
According to Katz, the
primary advantage with Greek affiliation is networking, though he said he has
not personally observed any cooperation based on Greek affiliation.
Cailey Chaney, Matthew Thomas, Morgan Pratt, Cristina
Johnson and Kylee Hopkin contributed to this report.
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