“I didn’t have a full four years as an undergraduate in ZBT, but I practiced leadership in different experiences throughout my undergraduate experience. I was hungry to stay engaged with the Fraternity after I graduated and looked for ways to assist the Delta Lambda Chapter when I came back to work as a staff member at my alma mater (Monmouth College).  ZBT was my saving grace during my senior year as an undergraduate and so I am happy to be volunteering with a Chapter that gave me so much.”  This is why Jacob R. “Jake” McLean, Delta Lambda (Monmouth College) 2015 is a ZBT volunteer.

Brother McLean has been the chapter advisor for the Delta Lambda Chapter since 2016. The Chapter was in a poor condition, where the Fraternity only recruited 3 to 5 men a year, were financially unstable, and were absent from the campus community. Over the four years since Brother McLean has stepped in, the Chapter has had a complete makeover. Through motivation, direction, and advice from Brother McLean, the Chapter has been able to ground itself on what it really means to be a fraternity and thrive.

Chapter President Rodolfo J. Garcia, Delta Lambda (Monmouth College) 2021 shared, “As a chapter advisor, Jake has done more than enough.  During times of struggle and need he always directs us in the right path.  He has been innovative with our Chapter by encouraging us to take charge and change Fraternity and Sorority Life at Monmouth.  Brothers are his top priority and he encourages them to be campus leaders.  The well-being of the Chapter is always on his mind, and he keeps himself involved by attending events, rituals, posting support on social media, and most importantly, being a friend, mentor, and our brother.”

When asked what he enjoys most about his volunteer role, Brother McLean reflects that being a chapter advisor to Delta Lambda has been an incredible experience.  Being able to help brothers build a strong connection to our alumni base, work with them on SOE (Standards of Excellence) accreditation and seeing the impact they are having on our campus community has been so fun!

Brother McLean’s advice to brothers is, “If COVID-19 has taught us anything from an operations perspective, it is difficult to plan things as we once did.  Take an opportunity to rest over this semester break.  When you have time to spare, work with your brothers, your teams, whoever to reimagine what you want your experience to be.  Take time to consider what is really possible.  Do not be afraid to take (smart) risks.  Embrace failure when it comes and learn from it.  You have quite a large network of support.  WE’ER ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!”

Brother McLean is the 2020 recipient of the Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award and is a member of the International Fraternity’s Chapter Advisor Development Committee.  We applaud and thank Brother McLean for his leadership, dedication, and emulating Brotherhood for a Lifetime.  To join Brother McLean as a ZBT volunteer, please go to https://zbt.org/volunteers/ to learn about outstanding opportunities.