06 Jan Lambda Lore: Anthony Villena
In this edition of Lambda Lore, meet Anthony “JOYRYDE” Villena from Fall 2023, one of the founding brothers of Lambda Phi Epsilon at UNC Charlotte who helped build the chapter from the ground up. As a charter and the chapter’s first New Member Educator, Anthony poured his heart into building brotherhood, purpose-driven leadership, and campus presence. Now a data analyst for Feeding Northeast Florida, he continues to live out his passion for serving the community. His advice? “Always have a why behind what you do. Be yourself, put brotherhood first, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.” Read his full story below:
Can you tell us about your experience in your fraternity during college? What were some of the highlights and challenges?
As a junior, juggling fraternity life with my crazy schedule was tough, since we were a new fraternity, building a campus presence took a ton of work, and as the chapter’s first New Member Educator, I poured my energy into that role, even if I couldn’t do much else. But the biggest highlight was definitely my Neo Semester, when I helped lead the Alpha Class alongside my line brother, Sam Ramdial. Guiding those eight guys, who’ve since become key leaders in the chapter, was such a blast and makes me super proud to know I left a lasting mark on the fraternity while having fun and exploring what brotherhood’s all about.
How do you think being a part of Greek life contributed to your personal and professional development during college?
Being a part of Greek life was a huge boost for me both personally and professionally during college. On a personal level, it helped me connect with all kinds of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise, which really built my confidence and made me better at navigating social situations. Professionally, it opened up a network of brothers from all over the country whom I could hit up for advice or mentorship, especially since many had work experience in the career field I was exploring.
What specific skills or values do you feel you gained from your involvement with the fraternity?
One of the most significant values I gained from my fraternity involvement was the importance of always having a “why” behind every action. Being the new member educator for our Alpha class taught me purposeful leadership and made me realize that efforts lack impact without clear intent. During our Alpha class, I did receive a lot of help from my educator, Matthew Wright and he was the one that stressed me to always have a reason, so I’m just spreading the gospel.
In what ways did your fraternity help you build a network of connections both during and after college?
My involvement in Lambda Phi Epsilon connected me to a nationwide network. During my summer internships before graduating, I formed a deeper connection with a physician I worked under, a charter of Pi Delta Psi, another Asian-interest fraternity, at the University of Florida. Even though we were affiliated with two different organizations we were able to talk about similar experiences with chartering a fraternity, which is when I realized that being in a fraternity opened me up to a network way larger than I expected. After graduating this past year and moving to Florida, I’ve been able to connect with brothers in Lambda Phi Epsilon at Florida State University and even met some bros at the University of Central Florida.
How has being a member of your fraternity influenced your career path or choices post-graduation?
Being in Lambda Phi Epsilon didn’t directly influence my career path, but it definitely reinforced my drive to make a difference. I’ve always wanted to help my community and be part of something bigger than myself, like working in a field where I can serve others. My current position at the moment is a Data Analyst for Feeding Northeast Florida, where I am directly helping the food insecure population of 12 counties and serving the community. Joining Lambda Phi Epsilon didn’t influence my career path, but it did solidify my passion for helping others.
Can you share any experiences or lessons learned from your involvement in Greek life that have been particularly valuable?
One key lesson I learned from my involvement in Greek life is that your actions directly shape the reputation and success of the fraternity you represent. Every choice you make, whether leading an event, supporting a brother, or engaging with the campus, reflects on the organization and can influence how it’s perceived. This taught me to act with purpose and integrity, knowing my efforts contribute to something bigger than myself.
Reflecting on your time in your fraternity, what advice would you give to current college students considering joining Greek life?
My advice for anyone thinking about joining a fraternity is to take it seriously, but also have a blast exploring the process while you’re young. Start by digging into the fraternity, check if their values match yours and what they’re all about. Get to know the brothers, whether that’s chilling at rush events or just hitting them up to chat, so you can see if it’s a group you’d really vibe with. At the end of the day, you’re young, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, try new things, and live life to the fullest.
As one of your chapter’s founding members, what core values or traditions did you hope to establish for future generations? What would you want today’s active members to remember or carry forward?
I see this a lot in a fraternity too, that joining a fraternity, you become something bigger than yourself. You represent an organization that’s going to be looked at by the whole campus. And it’s one of our core values, authenticity, just always being yourself.
Always have fun at the day. It’s eternity. It’s a brotherhood. There’s always going to be business related stuff in terms of how we want to look on campus, and certain volunteer events that we have to throw, or chapter hours. But if you’re not having fun, then why join a fraternity? It’s always about brotherhood. Always put your brothers first before anything, unless it’s like schoolwork and all that type of stuff.
10 years in the future and you’re looking at your chapter, what would you look for to say that’s a successful chapter that you can be proud of being a charter for?
The biggest thing I would look for is campus presence. Right now, we established a very good campus presence due to the fact that the active house, they’re very active on the DGC Exec, and they collaborate with a bunch of our DGC orgs as well. That’s just a big statement of whether the fraternity is being successful or not.
Did you always know that you wanted to work for a nonprofit? If not, how did you find it?
In college, I always wanted to work for a hospital. My major was healthcare administration with a minor in data science, and I hoped to implement data-driven strategies within organizations, whether in healthcare or elsewhere, to spearhead change for continuous quality improvement. As for how I entered the nonprofit space, honestly, after graduating college I applied to many healthcare jobs and I was ghosted by all of them. I then came across a data analyst position with Feeding Northeast Florida, and they took a chance on me. Through that opportunity, I’ve been able to help the community. At the time, I needed a job, but I also truly wanted this role because I was directly helping other people. I never thought I would work for a nonprofit, if I’m being honest, but being out in the community, addressing people’s needs, listening to what they’re going through, and helping put smiles on their faces by getting them the support they need has been incredibly rewarding.
What is your favorite memory as an active?
My favorite memory was preparing for the Alpha class reveal and practicing with my kids. They were a bunch of jokesters, but they also knew how to lock in during moments when I’d think, “Oh, we’re good. This is going to be the best reveal ever.” We joked around so much and didn’t always get things done right away, but you can look back at our Instagram and see how it all came together. During the reveal, we gave one of my kids a Honey Bun. He said something like, “I’m sweet and fun,” I threw him the Honey Bun, he opened it, said, “just like this,” took a bite in front of everyone and threw it back. That moment really sums it up, and I think it was my best memory for sure.
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About Lambda Phi Epsilon
Founded in 1981 at Los Angeles, California, Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc. has grown to become the world’s largest Asian-interest fraternity. Lambda Phi Epsilon (ΛΦΕ, also known as LFE) aims to guide men on a lifelong discovery of authenticity and personal growth. To learn more, visit https://lambdaphiepsilon.com.
Lambda Phi Epsilon Contact
David Kim, President
Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc.
david.kim@lambdaphiepsilon.org
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