Page 1 - Diamond News Spring 2016

Spring 2016 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Alumni Office | P.O. Box 80828, Atlanta, Georgia 30366
President’s Report
Status of the
Greek system at
Georgia Tech
Iattended the
Georgia Tech
Greek Advance Educator. His calling into the priesthood came during his
conference on
January 30, 2016. Legionaries of Christ in Connecticut. He made his first religious
About 250 Greek
Alumni advisors
and undergrads were present. I am very glad
to report that President Bud Peterson addressed
our group, and is a strong supporter of the Greek Youth Ministry for three years, Father Juan made his perpetual
system at Georgia Tech. That was not always true
in the past, as I am sure many of you remember.
In particular, Greek Affairs Coordinator Kylie
Corcoran has been a very positive influence on
the Tech campus and effective advocate for the
Greek system for the past three years. We are
lucky to have Kylie. 2,240 men in 32 chapters.
1,500 women in 9 Sororities.
The Conference focused on six issues
facing Greek students: hazing, academics,
recruitment, mental health (more broad than
suicide prevention), party management, and
sexual assault prevention. Hazing, academics,
recruitment, and party management are not
challenges for the DU chapter. Tech offers and
is proactive in providing six free Mental Health
sessions per year to students for stress, family
issues, relationship issues, and other mental
health issues, as part of an overall focus on
student success and retention. Quite a change
from my days, when freshman orientation still
included the “Look to your Right, Look to
your Left” speech. Tech’s student body is now
more than one-third female, so there is now a
President (Continued on Page 4)
JJ with Father Andrew Dalton ’01 – both now as Catholic priests.
Alumni Father Juan Jose “JJ” Hernandez
Spotlight
Editor’s Note: For this edition of the newsletter we’re shining the
Spotlight on JJ Hernandez ’01. From the home country of Puerto
Rico, JJ earned his degree at Tech in Industrial Engineering. As
an active member, he JJ served the chapter as President, Vice
President of Recruitment, VP Member Education, and Pledge
Senior year. In the fall of 2001, JJ entered the novitiate of the
profession in Ireland in 2003 and returned to the United States to
study Humanities. JJ spent four years in Rome where he obtained
a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2006 and theology in 2012
from the Regina Apostolorum. In 2009, after working in a Florida
vows. Today, JJ is living in the Sandy Springs area and
has been working as Chaplain for Holy Spirit
Prep these past two years. Outside of work
he enjoys hiking, camping, running, and
spending time with friends and family.
What led you to join Delta Upsilon back graduation. For some time, I had been thinking
in school? about the importance of doing something that
would last with my life. If I spent my time
Having moved from Puerto Rico to go building the latest, highest quality, fastest, least
to school at Tech, I was looking for a home widget… so what?
away from home. During my freshman year I
had gotten to know some of the brothers and About the same time, one of my fraternity
I immediately connected with them. Though brothers, Andrew Dalton ’01, mentioned to
initially I had no interest in joining a fraternity, me that he was thinking about the Catholic
I decided to pledge DU the spring quarter of priesthood. I really had never thought about it
my freshman year. before, but that conversation put the thought
in my mind and it would not leave me alone.
During your time as chapter President, what As a priest, I could do something that impacted
was it like living in the house during the people’s lives in a deep and lasting way.
demolition and new construction phases?
It was during a discernment retreat on Easter
Being in the fraternity during this period 2001 that I realized that this was my calling.
was very exciting. It was great to see how After Tech, how did you prepare for this
everyone chipped in to help with everything new stage in your life?
from moving things out, fundraising, coming
up with the design for the new house, and The first thing was that I that I had to pay off
all my debts and leave everything in order to
even helping out with the pursue the life of a missionary priest and so I
construction and cleanup on had my own personal garage sale to raise some
weekends. It was really a team money. Thankfully, my DU brothers were very
effort. During that time, we generous and offered to buy everything from
lived off campus for one year my shot glass collection to my car. With some
before occupying a vacated additional help from benefactors, I was ready to
fraternity house on campus. enter the seminary and prepare for my new life.
The latter was in really bad
shape and that gave us more As part of a Catholic religious order, I would
motivation to work together live in community with other men with the
to finish our new place! same ideals. I think community life in DU
prepared me for this!
It helped thatAndrew Dalton also joined that
When did you decide to same year with me. Two DUs in the seminary!
become a Catholic priest?
It was during my last year at I never thought that would happen....
Georgia Tech, as I approached Hernandez (Continued on Page 4)
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