Student Advisory Committee Profile: Matt Sheehan Reflects on Grand High Zeta Board Meeting
Matt Sheehan, a member of the Student Advisory Committee, was formally introduced to the Grand High Zeta Board during its meeting earlier this month in New York City. The senior broadcast journalism major at Missouri State University was elected to the board in September.
He took time during that meeting to reflect on what he’s gained from being on SAC, and how being Grand High Sigma is helping shape him as he prepares for the next chapter of his life.
Headquarters: What are some of the high’s of the Grand High Zeta meeting?
Sheehan: First of all, New York City is an amazing and beautiful place. The Alston & Bird law firm is an amazing location to hold board meetings, conferences and things of that matter, so we were really set up for success from the get-go. Getting to meet the group — meeting all of the guys — was very cool. Whatever field they’re in in life, they’re still very passionate about Lambda Chi Alpha. They’ve been around for a very long time, so their wisdom really encourages myself and my fellow advisory committee members who are on the Grand High Zeta as well.
H: What made you want to be a part of the Student Advisory Committee?
S: I wanted to be a positive voice for the undergraduate students. My experience with Lambda Chi has been an extremely positive one, and because of that I can take things to the next level on the Student Advisory Committee and again on the Grand High Zeta.
H: What does being on SAC mean to you?
S: It means giving a voice and power to undergraduate members all over the country.
H: How do you think your service on SAC will help you in your career?
S: It’s giving me a better sense of what life after college is going to be like. I have a lot of goals and aspirations in life that go a lot farther than just sitting in a classroom or working a part-time job. I have aspirations to be a full-time employee at a very powerful company or news station. So sitting in a room of successful men, I think, will prepare me for the future and show me what I can kind of expect. I think that I did thrive in this situation, so it’s good that I can realize that so that going forward I know what I can do and what I can accomplish.
H: Is there anything specific you hope to learn from this experience?
S: Yeah, I hope to learn the constitution like the back of my hand. I hope that I can learn how to make decisions in a multi-million-dollar organization. I’m realizing that the decisions these people make affect a lot of people. So it’s really teaching me how to make the tough decisions that I believe will benefit the general fraternity.
H: Is there anything you would like to add about your time on SAC or the board meeting in general?
S: I’ll give a plug to undergraduate members to join SAC, or at least apply for it. It’s a great opportunity that many undergraduate brothers don’t take advantage of and I think that they should. You get a lot of leadership experience, you get a lot of mentorship and you collect a lot of good wisdom from the older gentlemen in Lambda Chi Alpha.
