Name: Karen Cohen

Major: Health Administration

Rushed: Rushed Fall 2014, transferred Fall 2016

“I rushed APO at Towson University my junior year, because my roommate Rachel, who rushed the semester before me, encouraged me to do so. I had done a lot volunteering in the past, and I also had a passion for helping others and making others happy. However, I was also a student athlete on the cross country and track and field teams at the time, which was a top priority for me. At first, I was unsure about it, but I decided to attend the rush events and become a brother, and I’m so glad that I went through with it.

Every semester that I was in APO, I fell in love with it more, so much that I decided to transfer into UF’s chapter as a graduate student. APO has allowed me to gain leadership skills that I can use anywhere. Every time that I do service, I feel amazing knowing that I’ve impacted so many peoples’ lives in one way or another. Most importantly, I have gained friendships that I will have with me for the rest of my life. What’s great about APO is that we accept people for who they are, regardless of age, major, or disability.

Something that I was so unsure about at first ended up being one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made in college.”

Name: Gianella Perez

Majors: Psychology & Spanish

Rushed: Fall 2015

“Going into college I knew I wanted to get involved with a service organization so I made a giant list of possible organizations I could join until I found Alpha Phi Omega. I fell in love with it Day 1 of Rush and the rest is history! Everyone here is incredibly kindhearted and admirable in many ways. Just in the short Rush period, I learned so much about the organization and how much it does for the community, the campus, and for its members. Alpha Phi Omega helped me start to become the person I’ve always wanted to be and is still helping me achieve this goal. It’s given me the opportunity to give back to the community, put a smile on people’s faces, and it’s given me a lifetime of friendships I will cherish forever. I love that it’s become my home away from home.”

 Name: Casey Rybak

Majors: Economics and International Studies

Minor: Mathematics

Rushed: Fall 2016

“I rushed APO because I was looking for a group of people who shared my passion for service. Service is very important to me, and I knew that I would get along with people who were also interested in serving for the greater good. My favorite thing about APO so far is that, no matter what your interests may be, you can always find someone who shares that with you. Whether you’re interested in a certain TV show, a sport, or a game, I can almost guarantee that someone else likes that too. APO has given my a home. I rushed as a sophomore and, previously, I didn’t feel like I was a member of a community. I felt like an outsider at UF, but APO has given me a purpose and a community. I highly recommend rushing as soon as possible because I regret not rushing in my freshman year!”

Name: Savannah Stura

Major: Biology

Rushed: Fall 2015

“Coming out of high school I was extremely nervous about starting college. I was terrified that I wouldn’t find a place that I belong. However, a chance meeting and hearing about Alpha Phi Omega changed all that. I found an amazing group of diverse people, and I really felt like I belonged instantly! Not only did I make friends but, I bettered the community around me. The service aspect of the fraternity I see as a bonus, and completing service hours isn’t a task but, a fun way to connect with different people. The service provides skills that I could have never learned in the class room. I defiantly grew as a person by joining Alpha Phi Omega.”

Name: Kyle Rubin

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Rushed: Spring 2017

“Joining APO was the best decision I made in college hands down. From the moment I got involved, I felt welcomed, included, and loved. The atmosphere of friendship was strong and continues to be every time I see someone from the organization. I’ve been able to take up numerous leadership positions and expand my social skills immensely since joining. The best part of becoming a member, however, was by far the service aspect. Being able to give back to my community and my University and seeing the direct impact we make on people’s lives fills me with pure happiness. I’ve been able to make tons of new friends from across all different paths of life and learn things I never even considered about people and the world as a whole. I will forever be thankful for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had from APO.”

Name: Claire Hook

Majors: Classics and Anthropology

Rushed: Fall 2018

“I rushed fall 2018. When I came to UF I knew that I wanted to find a smaller community on this campus. My RA from that time is a brother of ΑΦΩ and told me about all of the service and leadership opportunities with new friends. I went to rush and met with so many amazing brothers and was able to go to so many service opportunities around Gainesville. I felt like I belonged and was appreciated. As I’ve gone through each semester, I have been able to meet so many amazing people and go to a variety of services. I’ve even been able to hold a number of leadership positions within AΦΩ and work with brothers to make our fraternity better!”

Name: Jason Gill

Majors: Microbiology and Chemistry

Rushed: Fall 2019

“I rushed Alpha Phi Omega because my mother had done the same when she was in college. I wanted an organization that could provide me with easy opportunities for community service, and I am glad to say that APO had proven to be so much more than that. I made more friends during my pledge semester than I had ever before, and I know I will make many more within this awesome fraternity. It has brought me out of my shell, encourage me to pursue my dreams, and allowed me to make genuine bonds with other humans. A Phi O Tau has to be one of the premier social and service organizations on the UF campus, and I would enocurage all UF students to rush if I could!”