T2W Kurt & John Sasser

Kurt Sasser, Auburn '08, didn't know that leadership positions and student government were in his future at Auburn University. As a freshman, Sasser had no intentions of joining a fraternity, or getting involved with SGA. One recruitment event later, everything changed.

"I came in as a freshman not really planning on doing fraternity or anything like that," said Kurt Sasser. "Then a guy that was an ATO from my hometown simply asked me to come out to rush for one night. I went … and completely fell in love with it."

Sasser got more involved with ATO, and the way he carried himself caught the eye of another brother who introduced him to the SGA at Auburn.

"I was a pretty extroverted, enthusiastic kind of guy," said Sasser. "Then a guy named Zach asked me to try out for SGA, he was an Alpha Tau Omega here. I got involved with SGA as a freshman at the lower end of the chain then worked my way up."

Sasser was elected Student Body President during his junior year through a run-off vote, winning 57 percent of the votes.

"It really was an amazing story because without ATO and without the brotherhood of the Alpha Epsilon chapter, I truly would not be sitting in the position I am today," said Sasser.

During his collegiate career, Sasser also became involved with the Committee of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and the Auburn Board of Trustees. He even found time to serve as Chaplain for the Alpha Epsilon chapter.

With the large amount of ATO and campus involvement, Sasser was a walking recruitment banner for younger brother John.

"Quite frankly, I didn't need to rush another fraternity," said John Sasser, Auburn '10. "Seeing the man [Kurt] had become … I realized that was ATO and I wanted to be a part of that."

Like Kurt, John held positions within SGA and also served as Chaplain for the Alpha Epsilon chapter, but he counts his greatest achievement so far as being announced as a Plainsman for Auburn University. According to the Auburn website, Plainsmen are charged with the duty and honor of representing Auburn University students to faculty, administrators, and the community. The group was chartered to serve directly under the Office of the President in conjunction with the Auburn Athletic Department and Auburn Alumni Association as the official hosts and hostesses of Auburn University.

Only 12 men serve as Plainsmen, out of the more than 25,000 students on campus. Kurt did not make the cut when he interviewed to be a Plainsman years before his brother applied.

"I went into it thinking it's in God's hands," said John. "I had a lot of brothers support me. That was the main reason I tried out."

On his way to ATO's formal, John received word that he was selected as one of the 12.

"I would not have missed that moment with my brothers on the bus because that's the reason I'm a Plainsman," said John. "I can represent something bigger than myself and I can represent Alpha Tau Omega."

It is always interesting to see how brothers become brothers, and the impact that experience has on their lives. Kurt and John are no exception. Their experiences and impact on Auburn's campus and within the Alpha Epsilon chapter are something to be commended, and they attribute their success to ATO.

"We're extremely extroverted people," said Kurt Sasser. "We love to give back to something that has given us so much."

Kurt graduated from Auburn University in May 2011 with a degree in Human Resource Management and John is entering his junior year at Auburn, with plans to graduate in May of 2013 with his own degree in Human Resource Management.