With all Founding Fathers of Ohio Nu graduated, the oldest brothers left are the ones that spent the most time around them post charter. One of these such brothers is Jordan Funk. Being in the chapter since Fall 2017, Jordan has a certain respect and wisdom he carries when he is around the younger brothers. In his tenure at Ohio Nu, he has served on the Standards Board and worked as the RLC Vice President. While serving, Jordan learned much of the inner working of the chapter and other valuable information as he puts it, “Being in the position helped me manage my time and learn how to keep up with tasks and to stay organized. It also gave me confidence, and taught me how to compose myself in a professional setting.” He became a wise man of sorts to the rest of the chapter if there were ever questions or comments on how something is done in the chapter.
Leaving is never easy, and especially when you have as many connections with friends as Jordan does. He knows all things must come to an end, but he has some reflections on his time in Ohio Nu; “I think SigEp helped me become a more balanced person. I’ve always excelled in school, so that was never a problem for me. I started my career young, so there wasn’t a whole lot of growth that SigEp could’ve helped me with. I was definitely weak on social aspects of my life, being amiable and relaxed. I also spent too much time on school and not enough time with friends and family. SigEp helped me come out of my shell and become more well rounded.” His favorite SigEp memory is the 2019 Summer Retreat in which he has a lot of memories from and recommend to go to all future retreats if you are able. The part he will miss the most is getting to hang out with brothers; “It was always nice to come hang out with people at an event or because some body was having a get together.”
Looking beyond graduation, Jordan’s goals, just like his career, aims for the moon! Graduating with an Electrical Engineering major, Jordan hopes to graduate with his Masters in the field by this time next year. Long term wise, he wants to secure a permanent Civil Servant position at NASA Glenn and buy a house as well as begin investing.
Before leaving, he also has a a farewell message for the chapter. It goes as follows, “Stay with SigEp. You probably aren’t well balanced and being around other people who aren’t will help you find that balance. Committee positions will help your leadership skills.” However, some special guests also left a farewell message for Jordan.
Fellow friend, Electrical Engineer and Ohio Nu graduate Stephen Matz, ’20, wrote this for Jordan’s graduation. “I’ve always been amazed by Jordan Funk. He is incredibly intelligent, committed in his work ethic, and considerate to all. He’s absolutely blown his studies out of the water — all while working through strenuous internships and jobs on campus. I can’t understate this as anything less than a herculean feat. His ability to balance workloads while still maintaining relationships with others is not an easy task, yet here he is, balancing it all. Congratulations on your graduation, Jordan! I know that you’ll go far. – All the best, Stephen Matz”
Jordan has one more surprise message left, and this time it is from his childhood friend and fellow Ohio Nu brother Martin Barnard, ’20. Martin had this to say on his friend’s graduation, “Jordan has been my close friend for over fifteen years; and the guy who used to build Lego Star Wars kits in my mom’s third grade classroom has grown into the true friend who is likely going to build a new rocket flight system someday. I vividly remember the day when you received your bid- and almost got it revoked- then fought like an animal to hang onto your invitation to join our great fraternity. If there is a word that could best describe Jordan Funk, it would be “character.” People make a friend out of Jordan because they find someone who is genuine, curious, and interested in their lives. If you make time for him, he will make time for you. Jordan has always been a tad more outgoing than me, so I am not surprised that he was able to surround himself with several lifelong friendships and happy memories in SigEp Ohio Nu. Maybe we can ignore that one year in high school where we fought over the same nerdy girl or the year we were roommates in Fenn Tower, but other than that, it has been a wild ride by Jordan’s side and I am tremendously proud of the professional young man that he has grown into. Through it all, Jordan has always been a wildly intelligent go-getter whose determination is sure to pay off as lasting success in his future. Congratulations on everything you have achieved over the past four years leading to your college graduation, my friend! Good luck on all your adventures in the future!”
As far as great brothers go, Jordan always remained one of the best. Whether he realize it or not, Ohio Nu was molded by him and his works that extended far. The chapter is going to miss him, but it will go with him wherever he goes, even if it is to the moon.