“He stands as a prime example of a Balanced Man and lives the Ritual each and every day.”

That’s how our chapter describes Brother Dominic Cardenas, Florida Gulf Coast ’17. Since the moment he joined SigEp, he has made a difference in our lives. We learned early on that Dom was a natural leader who wanted to make a difference in the Fraternity and on our campus.

After putting his foot in the door of every committee, he found member development to be his true calling. He loved the idea of helping his brothers with their journey through the Balanced Man Program. That ambition and drive for fraternal excellence made him a landmark in our chapter.

“Our chapter has been proud to call Dom a brother,” says Mannie Vieira, ’16. “He demonstrates what our Fraternity is all about.”

Among balancing academics, intramurals, a full-time job and the Fraternity, Dom was able to maintain a 3.25 GPA. He gives his all in everything that he does, and his leadership mentality inspires the chapter.

“I see being a leader in the chapter as an opportunity to help lead my brothers down the right path during a critical time in their lives,” says Cardenas. “Whether it’s helping them academically or with personal issues, the fact is, as a leader, you have a responsibility to help.”

Dom’s passion for helping others brought the chapter together and has kept our morale up since he joined.

“He is a brother that is always willing to lend a hand and never says ‘no’ to anyone in need, but now he needs our help more than ever,” says Josh Novicky, ’18.

This summer, Dom was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and his doctors gave him just nine months if he did not undergo chemotherapy. Since then, he has packed up and moved to Tampa to start treatment.

As he left campus, we realized that we needed to help him through his journey battling cancer. We wanted to be there for him like he was here for us. Two weeks ago, we launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support him and his family with the financial burdens of treating cancer.

“It’s amazing knowing that my brothers on campus are supporting me,” says Cardenas. “They have and continue to do some awesome things to help me through this difficult time.”

Since the campaign launch, we have raised more than $5,000 for Dom. The support from the chapter and campus community speaks to the kind of man he is and the impact he has made in all of our lives.

“He has cared for nothing more than maintaining the happiness of his friends, family and Fraternity,” says Charles Wallace, ’16.

Although Dom is no longer on campus, he has continued to be a guiding light for our brothers and has shared his biggest takeaway from his fraternity experience.

“No matter what you are doing, keep a pure heart and give everything you do 110 percent. You are never alone when you are a SigEp … this brotherhood truly is one to last.”