By engaging in student organizations and fostering a welcoming and supportive campus culture, Garrett Kristen has established himself as a resilient leader at Slippery Rock University. Kristen overcame early struggles and now serves on the executive boards of Green and White Society and the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, promoting campus traditions and opportunities for students to connect with one another.
Kristen, a senior strategic communications and media major from Elizabeth (Elizabeth Forward HS), chose SRU because he values the small-town, tight-knit feelings evoked by campus and town alike that reminds him of his own hometown.
Though he is a thriving leader on campus now, when Kristen arrived at SRU, he didn’t know how he was going to meet people. Given that he, like many first-year students, had just come from a high school where he’d had the same friends for years, Kristen wasn’t confident in his ability to make new relationships in a new place.
“I had a tough time adapting to college,” Kristen explained. “It was really hard for me to get out and meet people, and I felt like I wasn’t connecting with anybody. That first semester was tough.”
Upon returning for his second semester, Kristen decided that it was time to get out of his comfort zone and get involved.
“I’d heard about Green and White Society from my roommate, so I went through the application process for that, and I just kept an open mind,” Kristen said.
Green and White Society is a student organization committed to the development of programs and activities that instill a sense of pride and tradition on campus.In addition to Green and White Society, Kristen also developed an interest in joining a fraternity.
“I never really thought I would join a fraternity in college,” Kristen said. “But I was looking for any way to get involved, so I went to Epic Bingo which was run by Fraternity and Sorority Life and that sparked something for me. So, then I started asking questions and learning about Greek life.”
The week after bingo night, Kristen went to the spring involvement fair and spoke to the different fraternities that were tabling, ultimately finding his way to Pi Kappa Phi.
“The fraternity is a brotherhood, so you get close with the members, but I’ve also gotten really close with the people in Green and White Society,” Kristen said. “It’s nice because it gives you people you can just say ‘Hi’ to while walking around campus.”
Since getting involved, Kristen has worked as the chair of athletics for Green and White Society, promoting connections between students and alumni, and as vice president of Pi Kappa Phi, centering his work around recruitment and community events like Homecoming.
“In these organizations, you don’t just get the connections, you also get opportunities to lead,” Kristen said. “I never thought I’d lead in any organization, but I had people encouraging me to step up in my fraternity and in Green and White Society. Opportunities like that are really beneficial for future employment, too.”
Kristen arrived on campus unsure of himself and struggling to connect. Now, he is a force for good on campus, leading with confidence and connecting others, and encouraging his fellow students to get involved.
“I would encourage others not to be afraid of getting out of their comfort zones,” Kristen said. “I didn’t meet a lot of people my first semester because I was afraid of that, so it’s important to get out there and take advantage of every opportunity that you can get.”
More information about Campus Life at SRU, including the more than 160 student organizations, is available on the University’s website.
