Trevor Thornton, Missouri S&T ’20, spent most of the summer before his freshman year talking with representatives from multiple fraternities, but none seemed the right fit. As the semester loomed, he checked out SigEp’s website. Liking what he saw, he reached out to Matthew Achelpohl, Missouri S&T ’18 (then the vice president of recruitment), and asked to meet for lunch.”If you know Matt, you know he could sell water to a drowning man,” Trevor joked. “I signed the bid card before the check arrived.”

Trevor started as a petroleum engineering major, but later switched, earning a chemical engineering degree with an emphasis on biology. “I adjusted my priorities and changed from a high-salary field to a field that I would actually enjoy. It’s funny to look back, considering I work with electrochemistry now!”

As a student in the chapter, Trevor served as social chairman, Sigma Challenge coordinator, vice president of member development and finally SAAW chairman. He’s particularly pleased to have played a role in implementing what has become a signature event for the chapter. “Sexual Awareness Assault Week was the brainchild of Brother Achelpohl and was brought to life by Logan Wilcox [Missouri S&T ’19] and myself. I feel incredibly fulfilled to see this impactful event still going strong!”

Sigma Phi Epsilon had a significant impact on Trevor’s ensuing career. “Without the programs and encouragement from my brothers, I would have never served in leadership roles, taken advantage of résumé reviews, joined other organizations or attended a career fair before my senior year,” he said. “SigEp made that path clear for me.”

He also noted his gratitude to Ray Zesch, Missouri S&T ’70, for his positive influence during Trevor’s term as undergraduate VP of member BUSCH development. “That was one of my first experiences being mentored,” Trevor recalled. “I was intimidated at first, but Ray’s easy-going personality and genuine interest in my work and life was refreshing.”

As an alumnus, Trevor now finds himself in the position of influencing young brothers as the chapter’s balanced man steward and mentoring chairman. “Having a hand in ensuring that today’s undergraduates have the same enriching experience I had is the reason I remain involved.”

Today, Trevor works as a chemical engineer designing insulators and bushings for power systems and recently bought a house in the Southampton area of St. Louis. “I’m utilizing my passion for biology by caring for my houseplants and growing a vegetable garden.” In his spare time, he also enjoys hanging out with friends (most of whom are SigEp alumni), running, reading and trying new things.

This article is shared from the Missouri Gamma newsletter in the Alumni Communications Program.