I moved to Tampa during my sophomore year of College and was “matched” by the good people of Collegiate Hall with 2 other young men attending USF. One of those men was Shaun Geary.

At first I was weary of Shaun. He was in the Naval ROTC, an officer in his Fraternity, and he dressed kind of like a gangster wannabe. Over time, I grew to respect Shaun’s ability to balance so many responsibilities while being a full-time student.

Being that the Chapter did not have a good housing option, we sometimes would host Chi Phi parties at our apartment. They were loud, sweaty and a good time. I particularly remember one party where Shaun woke up on a treadmill in the apartment complex’s gym.

When the Chapter came under membership review in the summer of 2007, I thought I knew what fraternities were and I wanted nothing of it. But then Shaun became the Chapter President and decided to have a Chapter Meeting in our apartment one afternoon. I sat in my room and listened through the door to my amazement. I heard words like accountability, philanthropy, brotherhood, etc… and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

After being initiated, I served under Shaun as the Vice-President, and he taught me how a leader was supposed to act. He showed me that leaders get their hands dirty and that a good leader recognizes achievement with humility and defeat with an air for improvement.

Today, Shaun and I are both in graduate school: he in Monterey, California and I in Tampa, Florida. He is an officer in the United States Navy, and I am the President of the DZAA. Yet, even now, I look to how Shaun administers his duties as a leader and am constantly learning.

/s/ David Ebner