Delt Experience Leads to Philanthropic Career
Many Delts may wonder why philanthropy and community service are such a focal point of the Fraternity. In part, these experiences offer us an opportunity to give back, make a difference and develop skills not offered in the classroom. For a select few, it provides a way to test drive a career in philanthropy before leaving campus. Marcus Hagberg (Butler University, 2011), a recent graduate of Beta Zeta Chapter, has used his undergraduate experiences to successfully transition into a position as project manager for a non-profit in West Africa.
Since December 2012, Marcus B. Hagberg has been the project manager for Educational Development Projects (EDP) Trust, a U.K. non-profit organization delivering high quality senior secondary education for free to the neediest youth in Ghana, West Africa. EDP Trust is dedicated to combating poverty in the immediate community of Awutu-Bereku, Awutu-Senya district, through its innovative educational model, which marries the best practices of Ghanaian and U.K. education and specifically targets those youth who would otherwise not be able to afford to further their education.
While pursuing his B.A. (Cum Laude) in political science/international studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., Brother Hagberg became involved with the Beta Zeta Chapter of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. As an active brother he assumed various leadership roles within Beta Zeta, including the community service chairman (2008-2009) and philanthropy (Trike-La-Tron) chairman (2010-2011). During his time as community service chairman, Beta Zeta received the Lamp of Wisdom Award (the highest possible community service award for any student organization), and Brother Hagberg was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by Butler University. As philanthropy chairman, Beta Zeta raised nearly $15,000 for the Riley Hospital for Children.
Regarding the role that the Fraternity played in his life, Hagberg stated, “The tenets of humility and passion for service inherent to Beta Zeta specifically, Delta Tau Delta generally, motivated me to be ambitious as a leader and to channel our values toward meaningful service projects in the immediate community.”
Within his current role, Hagberg says “Delta Tau Delta’s unwavering commitment to education and its core values cultivated skill sets and principles which allow me to be an effective leader—even today as project manager, I still use the skills I developed and the principles learned within the Delt Shelter. My passion for educational development and the practical application of such directly stems from my experiences as a brother in Delta Tau Delta.”
The constructive results Brother Hagberg has delivered thus far as project manager has prompted the Board of Directors of EDP Trust to extend his original one-year contract until December 2014.
How are you utilizing the Fraternity to make an impact on the world?