When thinking of Greek life at Monmouth University, what immediately comes to mind is probably the thrill of sorority recruitment, the excitement of entering a brotherhood, endless philanthropy events and a sense of community. However, none of these would run smoothly if it were not for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life was birthed in 2019 from the Division of Student Life. Upon its creation two essential leaders joined the team as Director, and Assistant Director. The dynamic duo, Tara Fuller and Tyler Droste respectively are the glue that hold together the functions of Greek Life here at the University.
Though you may have seen their faces and heard their names, who are these two? And what exactly do they do? I got the chance to ask them some questions and better get to know them.
My first question for the pair was in regards to their educational background and involvement prior to their positions at the University. Fuller attended the University of Maryland and majored in Multicultural Leadership. She too was involved in sorority life and is a proud sister of Alpha Delta Pi. Fuller later attended Rider University to receive her masters in Organizational Leadership.
As for Droste, he studied Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University. The brother of Pi Kappa Phi had aspirations of working in Exercise Science, but ultimately chose the path of Higher Education and Student Affairs.
Since coming to the University in 2019, Fuller and Droste have worked hard in many areas. For Droste, he said that he has a wide range of responsibilities. “There are some days where I will have meetings with students to discuss chapter/council initiatives, other days I will be creating curriculum for office-led initiatives.” Droste also is a faculty advisor for Greek Senate.
Fuller added to Droste’s remarks saying, “There are different ‘seasons’ (i.e. recruitment/intake, officer transitions, new member education, etc.) in fraternity and sorority and those often dictate my calendar. I also work on external relationships, like alumni, advisors and inter/national headquarters staff who work with and oversee our chapters.”
While reflecting on their time and duties at the University, Fuller and Droste recalled some of their favorite memories, and most rewarding moments.
Droste said, “The most rewarding experience for me has been seeing our students overcome these challenges [of being virtual] as they’ve continued to hold events, recruit members and advance the FSL mission. It hasn’t been easy, but seeing their success makes all the work worth it.”
Fuller echoed Droste by saying that it has been particularly rewarding to see the chapters adjust to the circumstances by continuing to hold virtual and socially distanced events like Meet the Greeks.
She said, “The most rewarding part of my job has been getting our student leaders to a place where they’re willing to try new things. The COVID restrictions have pushed them to a place where they needed to adapt, but they are doing a great job of thinking differently each time we meet.”
Thanks to Fuller and Droste, the future of Greek life at Monmouth looks promising! For more information on the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, visit their webpage, or follow them on Instagram, @monmouthfsl.
PHOTO COURTESY OF Monmouth FSL