Undergraduate Profile: Kai Markle, Pacific ’27
Kai Markle, a junior at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, was recently featured in his school newspaper for his role as a student ambassador. A founding father and chapter president, Kai recently spoke to Senior Director of Strategic Communications Kate Ferguson about his college experience and journey to Phi Delta Theta.
Why did you choose to double major in politics and government and philosophy?
I always knew I wanted to be a political science major coming into college—I declared that major pretty early on. I had no idea I would also want to study philosophy. It wasn’t until I took a language and logic class and kind of fell in love with it that I really started thinking about adding a philosophy major. I picked it up at the end of my freshman year, and it’s been great having two sets of advisors to help me out. I’ve always wanted to go to law school after undergrad, and I think the skills the philosophy major builds—close reading, careful writing, constructing arguments—will be really helpful for studying for the LSAT and in the practice of law.
What drew you to Phi Delta Theta, and how did you find that its values of Friendship, Sound Learning, and Rectitude aligned with your own?
I really love how I found out about Phi Delta Theta. When I started as a freshman, there was no Greek life on our campus. At the very beginning of my sophomore year, a staff member approached me and a close friend of mine, Greg—who is now our chapter’s vice president—and said, “We have a couple of Greek organizations looking at starting on our campus, and I want you guys to talk with them and take the lead on that.” We thought that was really cool. I had never seriously considered joining a Greek organization, but in February of that year, I got on a call with Jim Rosencrans and a couple of other guys from GHQ. After discussing the three Cardinal Principles with them, I really fell in love with the organization.
I care a lot about academics, and so does Greg. Having that as one of the key principles was huge for us—we wanted to build a chapter really focused on academic excellence. Friendship is a value that has been a part of my life for a long time; I’ve always had long friendships that I’ve worked hard to maintain, so knowing the organization upheld that value as well drew me in. And the moral rectitude aspect—I think it’s so important for people to have conversations about what’s right and how to get better at that over time. Having that as a core value means we can reflect on tough situations and ask, “What was the right choice, and how can I improve?”
Can you describe the leadership roles you’ve held—inside and outside the Fraternity—and how your leadership style has grown during college?
Being a founder, it was always clear that Greg and I were going to be the chapter leaders. It basically came down to who wanted to be president and who wanted to be vice president. We looked at both roles, our schedules, and our strengths—he’s better at internal operations and building the exec team, while I’m more active in external communications and big-picture strategy. That’s how we made the decision.
I’m the current chapter president and will likely remain in that role until December, when I’ll transition out going into the spring semester of my senior year. Outside the chapter, I’m the vice president of the Criminal Justice, Law, and Society Club; vice president of the Political Science Club; treasurer of the Jewish Student Union; and vice president of the Philosophy Club. I also hold two on-campus jobs: a Pacific Votes student ambassador role and a resident assistant position, which I’ve held my sophomore year, this year as a junior, and will continue next year as well.
Tell us about a brother who has inspired you.
A brother who has inspired me—and continues to—is my VP, Greg McDonald. He’s easily my closest friend on campus. The dedication he puts into everything he does is truly inspiring: schoolwork, friendships, Phi Delta Theta, the clubs he’s a part of, and his job. He works multiple jobs, is involved in numerous student organizations, is a biology major preparing for the MCAT, and is applying to medical schools—all while giving his absolute best in every area. His work ethic is remarkable.
Beyond that, he’s just a genuinely good person. He embodies the core values of Phi Delta Theta through and through. He’s the first person I call in good times and bad, and in tough situations, I’ve seen him consistently strive to make the best choice possible—not just for himself, but for everyone around him. Not picking favorites, but I think he’s the best brother in our chapter.
You’re going to be a peer mentor at Kleberg this summer—what are you most looking forward to, and what would you tell other Phis about that opportunity?
I’m really looking forward to sharing the knowledge I’ve built through founding this chapter. I don’t know everything, but coming into this organization without much background in Greek life, the peer mentors I met at Kleberg and McKenzie were incredibly helpful. Every peer mentor and chapter meeting leader I’ve had has given me their phone number and followed up afterward, asking, “Hey, how are things going? Let me know what I can do to help.” I hope to offer that same kind of ongoing mentorship, especially to brothers in emerging chapters.
