Greek alumni board Q&A: Stan Strom

For Stan Strom, who graduated from ASU with a finance degree in 1982, brotherhood has been a way of life for more than 30 years. 

A member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon since his first year as a Sun Devil, Strom worked for the national SAE organization after he graduated, traveling to 46 states and logging more than 100,000 miles per year for four years.

“That opened my eyes to meeting people, seeing how huge the Greek sphere of influence was in businesses, philanthropy and every aspect,” Strom said.

Later Strom, who is originally from Tucson, became a land developer and broker, and now he is CEO of Wings of Humanity, a nonprofit that flies children who can’t fly commercially to hospitals around the country to access necessary medical care due to insurance constraints or special needs that cannot be accommodated on a commercial flight.

To Strom, being part of a Greek-lettered organization means being engaged in this kind of service for life, and that’s something he has enjoyed sharing with undergraduates as a mentor and adviser. 

“It’s not just a few years at ASU but a lifetime of giving,” Strom said. 

He’s proud of the Greek legacy at ASU, which is why he’s the chair of the new ASU Greek Alumni Advisory Board. He’s dedicated to engaging alumni in the thriving Greek life at ASU and amplifying the philanthropic and community service accomplishments of Greek undergraduate students. He’s especially proud that ASU Greeks are among the largest donors to the Valley of the Sun United Way. 

Find out more about Strom and what Greek alumni should know about Fraternity and Sorority Life at ASU.

What inspired you to join your fraternity?

I got a thing in the mail that summer, and I thought it’s a great way to meet friends. So I signed up and went through rush.

When I met the men at SAE I was so impressed and was just lucky to get a bid.

What was your experience like and why did you stay involved?

It was jam-packed. From the minute I stepped in there, I was involved in leadership positions. 

It was just fantastic. It was a college education outside the classroom, and I loved every minute of it.

I stayed active ever since, and there’s a lot of us who feel like it’s a tiring job to some degree, but it’s rewarding to see so many kids come through and be wonderful leaders in their communities. That’s been the real satisfaction. 

What is the ASU Greek alumni board?

We started it last year when the Greek Leadership Village opened. Now we have a group of alumni who see this as an opportunity to tell our message and build on what we’ve done for the last 25–50 years on this campus. 

Instead of having a board that doesn’t do anything we understood that there was an opportunity with ASU and some of its programs to have a mentoring program and speaker series. I got assigned the role of chair and graciously took it because I want to make a difference. 

My commitment is to make sure we have some phenomenal speakers set up  in the spring that will coincide with Greek Sing and the philanthropy planned for the Valley of the Sun United Way. 

How can people get involved?

If they have the capacity, alumni should start by just finding out how their chapter is doing and signing up for their newsletter or giving lecture recommendations. They can give a few dollars from their checkbook as well for a scholarship or programming. 

More than anything what we’re trying to do is identify alumni who have been distant from the university and have them come back and see how vibrant this Greek system is and see its influence. 

What should Greek alumni know about current Greek life at ASU?

Now that the Greek Leadership Community Center and Greek Leadership Village is built, it is absolutely a premier living and working study that I think will be duplicated around the country. The students are living among each other separately but inclusively, and the model works. I think it could be something that could be duplicated all over the country on campuses.  

The kids are wonderful and making a difference They are our future leaders. That’s what I see and that’s what I want to convey.

Are you a Greek alumni of ASU who wants to get involved? Contact greeklife@asu.edu for more information