The Power of Participation: Kevin Kundratic Q&A
Brother Kevin Kundratic, Pi Kappa ‘88, shares how his college years in Zeta Psi shaped his personal and professional growth, leading him to participate in the 2026 1847 Pledge Challenge.
Q: What inspired you to make your first gift to the Zeta Psi 1847 Pledge Challenge a couple of years ago and then to get more engaged in it during the 2026 campaign?
A:
My first gift was really about recognizing that Zeta Psi was an important part of my life and that I had an opportunity to give something back.
As you get older, you begin to look at your college years a little differently. At the time, you don’t always appreciate just how much you are learning—not only in the classroom, but about friendships, responsibility, leadership, dealing with people, and becoming the person you are going to be.
For me, Zeta Psi was a big part of that experience. The older I get, the more I realize that some of the most valuable things I took away from the Fraternity weren’t things I could put on a résumé. They were the relationships and the experiences that helped shape me.
That’s what brought me back to the 1847 Pledge Challenge. And in 2026, I wanted to become more engaged because I believe alumni have a responsibility to make sure the next generation of brothers has the opportunity to build those same kinds of relationships and experiences. To me, it’s not just about giving money. It’s about saying, “I was part of this, it mattered to me, and I want it to matter to the next generation.”
Q: Is there a Zeta Psi memory or relationship that has had a lasting impact on your life?
A:
The relationships are what stand out the most.
There are people you meet in college who you assume are simply going to be your college friends. Then you look up years later and realize that those relationships have lasted decades. That’s pretty special.
Zeta Psi also taught me the value of having brothers who are at different stages of life. You have people your own age going through the same experiences you are, but you also have alumni who have already been through many of the things you’re facing and can offer perspective. Those relationships have stayed with me. They have influenced how I approach friendships, professional relationships, leadership, and even how I try to help younger people who are coming behind me.
One of the things I appreciate most now is that Zeta Psi doesn’t really end when you graduate. You may leave the chapter house, but you don’t leave the brotherhood.
Q: What motivated you to give a matching gift of $500, and what do you hope your gift will help accomplish?
A:
I chose the $500 matching gift because I wanted to put some skin in the game and, hopefully, encourage other brothers to do the same.
I know that everyone is in a different place financially, and I’m certainly not suggesting that everyone needs to give $500. That’s not the point. The point is participation. If my $500 encouraged five brothers to give $100, or ten brothers to give $50, or twenty-five brothers to make their first $18.47 gift, then the impact becomes much bigger than my individual contribution.
I also think there is something important about alumni stepping forward first. It tells the active brothers that we’re paying attention and that we care about what happens to their chapter. My hope is that the money not only helps strengthen the active chapter and alumni association, but I also hope it helps create opportunities and experiences that today’s brothers will remember years from now. Maybe someday one of those brothers will be sitting where I am, looking back and saying, “That experience really mattered to me.” If we can help create that, then the gift is worth it.
Q: What would you like today’s undergraduate members to gain from their Zeta Psi experience?
A:
I hope they get everything out of Zeta Psi that they possibly can.
I hope they make friendships that last a lifetime. I hope they learn how to lead—and, just as importantly, how to follow. I hope they learn how to deal with people who don’t always agree with them and how to work together toward something bigger than themselves.
I also hope they realize that they’re building something that will stay with them long after college.
When you’re an undergraduate, it’s easy to think about the next semester, the next year, graduation, and getting started in your career. But Zeta Psi can become part of a much longer story. Take advantage of the relationships. Get involved. Take a leadership role. Help the younger brothers. Learn from the older brothers. Make the memories. And most importantly, don’t wait until you’re 20 or 30 years out of college to realize how valuable those years were. The Fraternity is what you make of it, and the investment you make in it today can come back to you in ways you can’t possibly predict.
Q: What would you say to a brother who is considering making his first gift—and about the power of helping the alumni association, active chapter, and the 1847 Pledge Challenge?
A:
I’d say: just start.
Your first gift doesn’t have to be a big one. Give what you can. The important thing is making the decision to participate.
Maybe it’s $18.47 because that’s meaningful to the 1847 Challenge. Maybe it’s $50. Maybe it’s $100. Whatever the amount, you’re saying that Zeta Psi still means something to you. And there’s power in that. Think about how many brothers have come through Zeta Psi over the years. If even a small percentage of them decide to participate, the collective impact can be enormous.
But I think there’s something even more important than the dollars.
When an undergraduate brother sees alumni supporting the chapter, it tells him that the experience he’s having today matters beyond his four years. It tells him that there is a brotherhood waiting for him after graduation. And that’s really what I hope the 1847 Pledge Challenge accomplishes. We benefited from the brothers who came before us. Now it’s our turn to make sure the brothers coming after us have something worth coming back to.
That’s why I gave. And that’s why I chose to become more involved this year. Zeta Psi gave us relationships, memories, experiences, and a brotherhood that has lasted well beyond college. Giving back is one small way of making sure that continues for the next generation.