The Fresno Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter has created several endowments that provide scholarships to undergraduate Sigma Chis at CSUF. The alumni brothers who have funded the endowments did so to recognize and reward academic excellence, and also for leadership and brotherhood contributions to the active chapter.
The scholarships are specifically intended to be used by the recipients to help fund their living in the chapter house for the following two semesters. This makes it financially easier to acquire the “social education” that living in makes possible. The chapter house is the incubator for acquiring the strong bonds of brotherhood, leadership skills and social skills. Those brothers who take advantage of the opportunity to live in, will enhance the odds of success in their careers, and thereby raise the level of excellence of Sigma Chi alumni.
The value of strong lifetime friendships is priceless, but the leadership and social skills obtained can be worth millions of dollars over a brother’s lifetime. Because living in the chapter house is so important to each brother, it is a condition precedent for most, but not all, scholarship awards.
On Monday, October 21 the Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment held its 1st annual scholarship banquet. It was held at the Chapter House prior to the Active Chapter Monday night formal meeting. In attendance were 40 undergraduates and 10 alumni. Brad Fischer opened the ceremony by introducing Significant Sigs and Constantine Sigs who were in attendance. He then introduced John Ballinger, House Corporation President, who presented the 2019 scholarship plaque to Gio Primavera, Consul of the Active Chapter.
The endowment was able to award $18,000 in scholarships to 9 undergraduate brothers for the 2019/2020 school year. In addition, we were able to award 17 brothers certificates of academic achievement. The minimum overall GPA required was 2.8 but many brothers achieved averages close to 4.0. The brothers awarded certificates were Jordan Ayerza, Cole Blagen, Jacob Boele, Christian Cline, Jacob Culwell, Devin Fiorentino, Nick Firpo, Micah Gross, Patrick Hawkins, Connor Kelley, Quin Pezoldt, Gio Primavera, McKay Romero, Lucas Smith, Jordan Vasquez, Oscar Vazquez and Jonathan Zamora. The certificates were presented by Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment founder, Tony Flores, and Endowment President, Mike Patton.
The Endowment Board also issued Magic Pens to all 17 recipients. These were a special order from the Dark Web. They are capable of writing only correct answers in a university Blue Book.
The endowment had a total of $28,000 available, but technical problems with the application process prevented us from reaching our potential. Substantial changes have been made in the application process, and undergraduate Scholarship Chairman, Christian Rena, is creating a handbook that will demystify the process. Because of a significant surge in endowment donations received from Fresno State Sigma Chi alumni, we should be able to give $36,000 in scholarships for the 2020/2021 school year to 18 worthy brothers.
Our objective is to increase the total of our endowments from $720,726 to $3,000,000 by 2023 which will enable us to award $120,000 per year. When we reach our goal, Epsilon Eta will be the first and only Greek housing in North America to provide affordable housing for its members.
We Fresno State Sigma Chi alumni can be proud of the philanthropic success achieved by our undergraduate brethren. The White Cross has gain new luster by their commitments to our community and in particular, Vally Children’s Hospital.
After graduation from Fresno State, Chuck earned his Masters Degree at UCLA then joined the 144th Fighter Group of the California Air National Guard as its Information Specialist for six years. After leaving the military, he went on to have a successful career in Public Relations, serving as Public Relations Director for Community Health Systems in Fresno for thirteen years, opening his own firm, Charles Sant’Agata Public Relations in 1983 and serving as President and CEO of the American Lung Association for eight years. He was also President of several local, state and national public relations professional organizations, and he was the Founding President of the Central California Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Even as an alumnus, Chuck’s fingerprints have continued to mold Fresno State. From 1971 to to 1973 he served as Board President of the Fresno State Alumni Association. He has also returned to campus as a guest lecturer in Public Relations and continues to serve on the Peach Blossom Festival Committee.
Chuck was co-rush chairman with Leo Wilson in 1957 when Epsilon Eta pledged 33, the largest pledge class in the chapter’s history at the time. Brother Sant’Agata has contributed to our alumni chapter in many roles including as Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter president and chairing fundraising efforts for several renovations to the Chapter House. He served as Grand Praetor for the West Coast and he is a member of the Order of Constantine.
Several Sigma Chi alumni were able to join Chuck in the festivities at the Save Mart Center, and so were Dorothy Heinrichs (Steve 65-F) and Pam Colgate (Bill 65-S). Both Steve and Bill served as Consuls while undergraduates. We all know that the recognition received on September 20 was long overdue. Congratulations Brother Chuck!
