Esteemed BH Alumni

Entering college often signals a new chapter in life and brings exciting change. Andrew During ’10, BH1072 had a similar experience when he joined Beta Eta Chapter. “I joined Tau Kappa Epsilon as a way to meet new people, develop leadership experiences, strengthen my resumé, and network with alumni. After graduation I wanted to stay part of the brotherhood in order to give back to the fraternity that gave me so much during my college career.”

Most of Andrew’s favorite memories revolve around bonding with his pledge class. He is proud of the way Fraters were able to work toward a common goal to help one another develop, including representing Beta Eta at Conclave. “Everything from completing service and philanthropy projects to our random impromptu movie nights helped a group of complete strangers become lifelong friends. We always felt that the brotherhood in our little Chapter far exceeded any of the other bigger chapters on campus, which gave us an enormous sense of pride.”

As part of the Beta Eta brotherhood, Andrew learned the leadership skills necessary to survive in the real world. “Being a young engineer with managerial responsibilities can be tough, and the experience I gained leading the Chapter as an officer proved invaluable. After all, if you can manage to lead 30 men in their late teens and early 20s toward accomplishing common goals, you can lead anybody.”

Andrew advises undergraduate members that school can be tough, but there is no reason to rush to the finish line. “Taking fewer hours each semester will decrease your stress and give you more time to focus on the classes you are taking. The single most important skill you can learn in college is time management and to load up your resume now with as much leadership experience as possible.”

He encourages alumni to remember their time as undergraduates, but to also make new memories by reengaging with the Chapter. Andrew has kept this bond strong by serving as the treasurer for the Beta Eta Alumni Association and visits the Chapter House regularly. “With the new Chapter House, a resurging Chapter size, a few Top Teke awards under our belt, and an alumni presence that’s bigger than ever, there’s never been a better time to get back in touch with fraters you’ve lost contact with.”

By simply reconnecting, alumni ensure the strength of Beta Eta for future generations. “It’s important to stay involved after graduation because it has allowed me to give back to the Chapter that has given me so much in my life. Networking never stops once you get into the professional world, so staying in touch with our alumni base can offer numerous benefits.”

Andrew often looks to Tau Kappa Epsilon in his daily life. “Their mission statement ‘aided me in my mental, moral, and social development as I transitioned from a teenager to a man’. The skills I learned, the people I met, and the experiences I had at the old ??? Chapter House all contributed to making me who I am today.”

Andrew is the quality manager and field engineer for a heavy civil contractor and lives in Hazelwood, Mo. He can be reached at aldt6d@mst.edu.

When reminiscing on our memberships in Beta Eta, it’s easy to place all of the emphasis on our undergraduate years and living in the Chapter House. It’s not wrong to think this. The camaraderie developed while living in close quarters is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that bonds all Teke Fraters. But what about after school? Tau Kappa Epsilon is more than a four-year commitment; it’s a lifetime experience that provides true friendship while men have an opportunity to grow up and figure out what they want to do in life. “Beta Eta meant everything to me. It taught me many lessons and prepared me for life; not just in the business world, but in my personal life as well,” shared Mark Downer ’79, BH655.

Giving to the capital campaign was an important decision for Mark because he wants to guarantee that the TKE tradition lives on at MS&T. “For me, choosing to give to the campaign was easy. TKE is life. It’s always been that way and it always will be that way. I hope that my brothers can think about the times they had in their years and want to make sure new fellow TKEs can have the times that they had.”

When Mark was asked what his favorite memories from Beta Eta were, he shared that graduation day stood out the most. He remembers it was an accumulation of four and a half years of great times and success with his pledge brothers. Mark also recalled helping build the first-place cudgel in 1982 because it was a great achievement and got the whole Chapter working together.

“Life at TKE made me learn the ups and downs of friendships; you learned who you can count on, learned that there were people there that could help you, like when you were having a hard time at school. I also learned how to communicate in Chapter meetings, which really helped within business meetings.”

Mark and his wife, Vicki, live in St. Louis, Missouri. They have a son, a daughter, and four grandkids with one more on the way. He works at a small company providing SAT software implementation consulting. Mark attends two TKE golf events each year. He also sees Dave Kramp ’79, BH645, Ed Smith ’79, BH651, Jeff Nelson ’79, BH643, Greg Sedrick ’79, BH641, Chris Loeffelman ’79, BH663, and Ron Jansen ’79, BH573 on a regular basis. You can contact Mark by e-mailing him at mgdowner@ gmail.com.

For Daniel Groteke ’51, BH101, his time at Missouri School of Mines, now Missouri University of Science and Technology, became instrumental in developing his devotion to academic and exploration of all life’s opportunities. After arriving on campus, multiple fraternities sought to add Dan to their ranks. However, Beta Eta was the only one that made a lasting impression. “The Chapter was comprised of mature members who presented themselves well and with a great deal of integrity.”

Living in the Chapter House provided Dan with an opportunity to learn from all members and their individual experiences on a daily basis. This learning experience provided Dan with boundless opportunities. After he started working for the school newspaper, Dan quickly found himself promoted to a sports reporter and then editorin-chief. “Tekes gave me confidence in my own abilities, and without my ??? membership I doubt opportunities such as these would have presented themselves to me.”

Dan encourages undergraduate members to cherish the relationships and experiences they receive because they will support a successful academic and career path. The work ethic Dan exhibited while working several jobs in college served him well later in life. After a career in aluminum foundry management, he began his search for a new path.

With his experience at American Standard and as a metallurgist in multiple plants, Dan began forming ideas for new patents. It was then he found his calling as a consultant and inventor. With 16 U.S. patents and more than 60 publications and presentations given worldwide, Dan spread his knowledge and affinity for thinking outside the box. He even had the opportunity to become an ambassador for People to People, where he spent three weeks in China and Japan giving a wide variety of presentations.

Even still, Dan fondly recalls his days living in the Chapter House or attending dances hosted by the fraternity. “It’s where I learned to believe that the last four letters of my last name truly meant I was supposed to be a ?eke from birth. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and every path it has offered me.”

Although he now considers himself a grounded pilot, Dan enjoys traveling around the world with his wife. “I have more than 50,000 hours of flight time with different flying clubs and own, partially and fully, two planes. I believe that being licensed in both Africa with safari trips and Australia was a good way to quit!” He still has many active patents, which can be viewed at www.qcdesignsinc.com. Dan lives in Saint Joseph, Mich., and can be reached at dgroteke@cs.com.