“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” This quote, frequently attributed to Mark Twain, serves as the inspiration for a class being taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by SigEp Faculty Fellow Deb Mullen. It provides something many academic curricula neglect: an opportunity for students to examine their life purpose in an effort to become the person they say they want to be.

While many students are consumed with learning how to simply recite facts, the SigEps taking this course are taught how to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the information in the world around them. Influenced by the Fraternity’s cardinal principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love, the class encourages students to discuss ethical behavior, choices and philosophy. In this class, students are actually emboldened to face hot topics such as abortion, gay rights and religion. In fact, common field trips include visits to a Jewish temple, Islamic center, Christian church and Buddhist center to discuss the rich spiritual diversity present within the United States. The students even explore the concept of manhood through movies such as “Boyz in the Hood.”

“This class threw me for a loop,” said Chapter President Corey Archer, Nebraska ’18. “Whether it’s with the Fraternity or friends, it’s easy to have groupthink and do similar things. This class forced us to try things we hadn’t before, to talk about things we hadn’t before and to go places we hadn’t before. We’ve all grown because of this class.”

Mullen developed the curriculum and has been teaching the class to SigEps for seven years. She notes that college students don’t have many places where they can be vulnerable and express their fears without being mocked. They don’t know how to ask for this experience or even who to ask. Mullen’s classroom provides the right environment for students to think deeply and abstractly about their own lives and the world around them.

“In college, students may learn how to be an accountant, but will they learn to be good men, good leaders or good fathers?” Mullen asked. “In this class, they can explore who they want to be, not just what they want to be.”

The SigEps in Mullen’s class aren’t the only ones benefitting from their time together. She loves the opportunity she’s had to see her work impact her students’ lives. “I get a front row seat in watching young men mature,” Mullen reflected. “I get to watch them move into the next stages of their lives. To know I’ve had a part in that maturation is an amazing blessing for me.”

Members of SigEp’s Nebraska Chapter know what a special volunteer they have in Mullen. Undergraduates and alumni alike sing her praises for both the unique program she built and the genuine care she has for SigEps. They not only describe her as one of the chapter’s greatest assets, they describe her as a friend.