Whatever happened to Steve R. Hisaw? For those who can remember that far back, Steve Hisaw was a member of the pledge class way back in the Fall of 1987. Brother Hisaw graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. He resides in Columbus, Ohio and has spent the last 23 years working in sales, currently serving as a Regional Sales Director for a pharmaceutical company. Brother Hisaw fondly recalls…
“I grew up in a small town in Southern Ontario – Port Dover. It is on the north shore of Lake Erie. I left Canada in 1983 when I was 19 year old and drove to Florida on a motorcycle (not so smart, but fun). I worked 3 years in steel building construction out of Sarasota, Florida as a steel monkey and crane operator. We built metal pre-fab buildings all over the State of Florida. In 1986, I got my citizenship and was accepted to University of South Florida, where I commuted from Sarasota for my first semester. I really wanted the Florida college experience, so I decided to look for a place near campus…and went to Off Campus Housing to look for a place. There were two Chi Phi brothers in there (Sean Winter was one of them), and they were looking for a room-mate for 184 Village Square. Well, a dozen beers later, I was accepted as the 3rd room-mate, and we all moved into # 184. I went back to Canada for the summer….and when I returned for the Fall Semester, # 184 was now the Chi Phi Fraternity House. The rest is history! I pledged that semester and have so many great memories from my experience at USF as a Chi Phi.”
While Brother Hisaw is divorced, he re-united with his high school sweetheart from his home town, and they have been together for almost two years. “It is awesome,” are his exact words! He has two children – a daughter, Sydney, who is 15-years old and will start driving soon (interesting times ahead!), and a son, Connor, who is 13-years old.
Brother Hisaw remains in contact with a few Chi Phi Alumni over the phone and through Facebook, and a couple of years ago, he came back to Tampa and enjoyed catching up with some “old” Chi Phi Brothers: Sean, Chip, Lou, Durso, Grafstrom, and Tony, just to name a few. He has often thoguht of all the great times they had together, and admits that Facebook has been a great way to see old photos and bring back some old memories! He does wish he had more contact with Mike Baylis, the National Advisor that would stop in from time to time to check in on the Brothers. “It was always fun when Mike stopped in,” Hisaw says. “In addition, it was Mike that encouraged me to go into Sales…”
For Brother Hisaw, Chi Phi taught him about leadership and the ability to influence and inspire others in a positive way. He remembers guiding new brothers to set goals, to be organized, to focus on working hard, and to prioritize school and good grades – thus better preparing themselves to compete for jobs after graduation. Hisaw enjoyed these things and belive that experience helped pave the way for his life and career. “But most importantly,” he shares, “I learned that Brothers are for life. No matter how far you are away, you can always count on Brothers for help…for advise…or simply to share some good times together!”