Young Alumnus Awarded “Five under 35” Award

Josh Diegel (University of Wisconsin Stout) was selected as a “Five under 35 (years old)” in his city of Great Falls, Montana. Diegel is a United States Air Force Officer. Specifically, he is a Crew Commander of Nuclear Missile Launch Operations. In his community, he volunteers for “Habitat for Humanity” building houses for those in need. Diegel was described by those who nominated him for the honor as having “unmatched character and an inspiring heart for others”. You can see more about him and the honor in this short video. Josh is a busy guy but took some time to answer three questions for us.

PLP IHQ: Congratulations! How did you get chosen for this honor?

Josh: Receiving this honor was pretty humbling and surprising. Turns out, I was nominated by my colleagues at the Air Force base. They highlighted my work with the Air Force and my involvement in the community with Habitat for Humanity.

PLP IHQ: Why did you initially join Pi Lambda Phi?

Josh: My grandfather always said having balance in life was important and in college, before Pilam, I lacked that balance. I was solely focused on my schoolwork and my job. I initially assumed the negative stereotypes about Greek Life were true, but two of my good friends were in Pilam, and I thought about how they didn’t match the stereotype, so I ought to give PLP consideration. I was fortunate that they invited me to join as an upperclassman.

PLP IHQ: What’s Pilam mean to you now being a few years out of the undergraduate experience?

Josh: Two things – 1) balance in life and 2) the Creed’s importance. In college, the balance explained previously was so helpful for me. Living with other brothers, learning from each other, building memories, and knowing they had my back helped give me the balance I needed. I do stressful work now, so remembering to maintain balance is essential. I find balance through exercise, volunteering in my community, and being intentional about staying connected to my family and friends. Neither my family nor my friends from college live near me now, so I have to be extra intentional about staying in touch with them.

Second is the importance of our Fraternity’s values and the Creed. The Creed certainly spoke to me when I joined, but the values expressed through the Fraternity and our Creed itself are things I try to remember as I lead as an Air Force officer.