Nicholas “Nick” Porter is a sophomore business major from Sardis, Mississippi. He says he did not know much about fraternal organizations until he was introduced to the Batesville, Mississippi chapter of the Sigma Beta Club.
The Sigma Beta Club is one of four areas of social and civic engagement that center the local, national, and international work of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. There is the fraternity’s “Bigger and Better Business” programming, which focuses on “encouraging and promoting black businesses.” There is the fraternity’s “Education” programming, which includes initiatives focused on supporting the academic pursuits of the fraternity’s collegiate membership (e.g., scholarships, professional development) as well as projects meant to serve communities across the world. There is the fraternity’s “Social Action” programming, which focuses on “the general wellbeing of disenfranchised people.” And, then there is the Sigma Beta Club, established in 1954 by Bro. Dr. Parlett Moore and others as an avenue for Sigma men to mentor black boys and young men, to help prepare them for a changing and challenging world.
Porter says that is exactly what Sigma Beta did for him. “Sigma Beta Club opened a lot of doors in my life. It created places for me to network and prosper.” Of the value and impact that Sigma Beta had on his life, Porter could not be clearer: “I chose to pledge Sigma simple because of the impact that Sigma Beta and my mentors who were Sigmas had on my life.”
Yet, for Porter, joining Sigma is not just about what Sigma has given to him. It is also about giving back.
“I joined the chapter to simply give back to an organization that poured so much into me during my younger years,” he said. And, that is what he has been trying to do since being initiated into the Eta Beta Chapter (Spring 2019): give back. He is currently the co-Step Captain and Stroll Master, and is active in all of the chapter’s service and social programming.
“My favorite part about being in a Fraternity is traveling and meeting other brothers as well as other members of the D9. My favorite part about being in Eta Beta is creating life long memories with my brothers.”
Looking forward, Porter’s goals are what they have always been: to give back. “Some goals I want to achieve in the chapter is to become even more involved in the community with our youth and help build future leaders of tomorrow.”