The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation is pleased to announce a new national scholarship fund, The Fleur-de-lis Fund.
With the goal to increase access to Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Fleur-de-lis Fund establishes a scholarship to benefit underrepresented brothers in the Fraternity. Province Sigma Archon, James Balandrán (Texas-Dallas ‘10), was one of the many that saw an unfulfilled need to support inclusivity within SAE, inspiring the start of this fund, which intends to lessen the financial burden of fraternity membership.
James said, “As the largest Fraternity, SAE has brothers from many diverse backgrounds. First-generation college students, non-traditional students, students on scholarship; these are a few examples of members we are looking to support with scholarships from this fund. We also wanted to create a vessel where we can assist members when tragedy strikes, like when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2018. Removing barriers to be a fraternity man is our ultimate goal.”
James is an avid supporter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon through volunteering and monetary support of the Foundation. As someone who never considered joining a fraternity himself, he was struck by the True Gentleman’s message, which convinced him to join his roommates as a member. James says of this fund’s mission, “We want to make sure that we are being inclusive and providing for the needs of our members in every way possible. The fund’s mission is congruent with the Fraternity’s mission of advancing the highest standards of friendship, scholarship, leadership, and service for our members throughout life.”
Why the name Fleur-de-lis Fund? James gives all the credit to Province Nu-Epsilon Archon, Chris Slott, who spent a lot of time researching the fleur-de-lis and its meaning. The fleur-de-lis symbolizes SAE’s unity through honor; the three petals of the flower, representing our membership, are equal and united by a common heart, our ritual, uniting us. The fleur-de-lis represents this scholarship because all brothers are equal and unified by our organization’s ideals, no matter their background.
The advisory board for the Fleur-de-lis Fund is also unique in that it consists of a diverse group of members and nonmembers who understand the value that Greek life can have on an individual’s college experience and life regardless of their background. When asked to recall his favorite SAE memory, James said it’s hard to pick just one and that he values the ongoing relationships he’s made as an undergraduate and alumnus. In the end, it is the mission and hope of this fund to allow more individuals to experience all that fraternity life has to offer and share similar memories and experiences.
To make a donation, please click here and select Fleur-de-lis Fund from the dropdown menu. Thank you to the donors below for being the first to contribute to this fund.
- James Xavier Balandran (Texas-Dallas ’10)
- Nickolas Brown (Sonoma State ’13)
- Michael James Corelli (Northern Illinois ’01)
- Austin John Evans, Esq. (Wisconsin-Madison ’05)
- Curtis R. Frasier (Arizona State ’77)
- Christopher Wayne Hancock (Indiana State ’96)
- Damon Bret Hirschensohn (Sonoma State ’98)
- Ethan Zachary Lipsker (San Jose State ’19)
- Jesus Manuel Maldonado
- Steven D Mitchell (Indiana ’83)
- Richard Brian Shanahan (Fort Hays State ’03)
- Christopher Ashley Slott (North Florida ’08)
- Shay Michael Stewart (Sonoma State ’96)
- Martin R. Vindiola (Sonoma State ’13)
