Dave Bergstralh has been a great influence for the men of Pennsylvania Tau over the past few years, all while balancing his work as a trial lawyer in five different states and being a volunteer for the Scouting America program. Dave had values instilled in him at a young age as a Boy Scout and worked his way up to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting.

This set him up for success at the University of Texas- San Antonio. After starting school in fall 1997, Dave joined Sigma Phi Epsilon and was heavily involved during his four years of undergrad. He served as the scholarship chair and then the vice president of the chapter. During his time as VP, the president stepped down and he acted as both the president and the vice president for a few months of his term. When he was in law school, he also served as the dean for a law fraternity. All of these experiences truly show what a great mentor and volunteer Dave is and why Sigma Phi Epsilon is grateful to have a volunteer like him.

When Dave started working with the chapter, he thought the house looked unwelcoming from the outside and could be improved. Dave chatted with the undergraduate brothers and after getting some outside perspectives, decided to paint some of the walls in the house purple. He also added some purple pansies and red roses outside of the house. These small changes have made the house feel more welcoming and actually helped improve the chapter morale and attendance at events from other students across campus. The Pennsylvania Tau president has mentioned before how thankful he is for Dave and his commitment to the chapter. Brother Bergstralh, thank you so much for all that you do for the Pennsylvania Tau chapter and Sigma Phi Epsilon!

Q&A with Dave Bergstralh

What is his favorite thing to do as a volunteer?
The most rewarding feature for Dave is knowing that he has touched somebody’s life in a positive way. Dave had a great impact on someone at scout camp when he went as a child and then had that person come up to him when he was back at camp with his kids years later and remember him and mentioned what a great impact he had on this other person’s camp experience.

What keeps him up at night as a volunteer?
Dave’s greatest concern is that he hasn’t trained the undergraduate men enough. As a counselor he wants to help put the guardrails up and help make sure the young men know how to fix it when they mess up.

What is the biggest accomplishment he has had during his time as a volunteer?
Dave says his greatest accomplishment is conveying to the men of Pennsylvania Tau what Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love truly looks like. Also, the president of Pennsylvania Tau thanked him for spending so much time at the house this past year with the men and helping them improve themselves and the chapter facility.