90’s Grad Stays In Touch With Social Media
Ian Drossner ’95 found Beta Sigma Beta as a freshman when a sophomore friend introduced him to some of the brothers. “As a naïve freshman, they all looked like they were always having a great time and were all good friends with each other!” he says.
He describes his four years in Beta Sig as “amazing,” and he wouldn’t exchange the friends and experiences for anything.
Of course, with so many people living under one roof, there was always something going on. “Who could forget all of the late nights hanging on the second floor after the real party ended? Regatta with Blues Traveler, raiding the kitchen late at night and eating all of the following week’s food at 3 a.m., Fall ’91 graduation bar tour…don’t mess with us!” Drossner recalls.
After graduation, he went into the family business, Barclay Caterers. The company is currently celebrating its 50th year in business and is still going strong as the largest Kosher caterer in Philadelphia. Drossner says if anyone in the area is needing a caterer, give him a call!
In his personal life, Drossner has been married to his wife, Sheri, for 13 years, and has two children, Ethan (11) and Gabrielle (7). The family tries to make it back to Penn State for a football game every year, and this season caught Penn State’s huge win against Maryland. Currently, they’re looking forward to a trip to Disney World in March with Drossner’s brother Michael ’94 and his family. He is also preparing for his son’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah – “at least I know a caterer!”
He still keeps in touch with a handful of his brothers. “It’s easy now with Facebook, to see everyone’s family and what they are up to. Our pledge class tries to all get together every now and then to have a night on the town.”
Those friendships are one of the main impacts Drossner took away from Beta Sig. “I think that one of the main things I learned at Beta Sig is how far friendships can take you. You build such strong bonds with people when you live with them year-round, that I know if I needed a favor from any of my boys they would be there for me in an instant,” he says.
“That art of creating friendships is a huge part of my life now, especially in business. I try to become as close to my customers as possible so they know they are going to have a great experience both planning and experiencing their child’s Mitzvah or wedding.”
