We recently caught up with our very own Kris Zwycewicz ’89 and had the chance to ask him about his PA Theta experience, and where life since Penn State has taken him. Here’s what he had to say:
Where has life taken you since you graduated? Give us a brief recap up to this point including career and family highlights.
I have had multiple relocations for career advancement over 25 years landed the Z-Family or Switch Family as my Brother Phis would probably say, in Towson, MD, Swarthmore, PA, Southern New Jersey Newark, Delaware, Naperville, IL ,then back to Downingtown, PA where we finally land and presently reside in Franklin, TN about 15 miles south of Music City, Nashville, TN. Middle Tennessee is where I founded my construction engineering firm, Ryzec Building Group, LLC with two prior peers in the construction business that became lifelong friends and my current partners of 13 years. Ryzec opened in 2007 right as we all became unemployed working for different firms in the construction industry. The construction business almost shut down in Tennessee in 2007 so that is when we decided to start our own firm to finally work for ourselves. We survived the recession and then started to flourish in the growing Nashville market place by 2015 while expanding our reach and operations into 8 other states in the Southeast US. My two rugrats are now adults. My youngest Sammie, 24, is in Paris France finishing her studies this fall and then onto Kings College in London in a National Masters Program and Government Security Analyst training position. As I recently told a Phi, the world will no doubt be a safer place with Sammie “Lightswitch” Zwycewicz secretly watching out for our safety working for the government’s law enforcement and spy organizations. Nicholas, 28, has followed in my footsteps and obtained his Civil Engineering Degree and is a builder in the Nashville Market place, Nicholas worked for dad for many years while training in HS and at U of Tennessee, but has been on his own now for many years. I hope he will eventually move back to working with me at Ryzec once he decides to work in the commercial construction industry vs housing. Susan is getting ready to hang up her dental instruments and enter into retirement.
What are the most important lessons you learned because of PA Theta?
Phil Delt really provided me the opportunity to lead others and over the years at the house take on and fill many positions helping run the chapter from rush chairmen, social chairmen, VP, President. These helped me get comfortable speaking and presenting as well as making some difficult decisions. I credit my years living with my brothers and living in the chapter house as some of the best years of my life and most educational on dealing with the dynamics of large diverse groups.
When you look back on your time in PA Theta, what moments do you tend to remember most?
Some of the fondest memories are certain days walking to class in the tranquil snowy mornings which were a stress reliever for me. The other memories that I recall often are the many social and other events the House would participate in and compete on campus against the other Fraternities. Homecoming Floats, Chariot Derby and endless parties and tailgates all bring back some specific memories at times.
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*For those of you who don’t know how in the world Kris got the nickname ‘Switch’, it was given to him — somewhat out of necessity — by J.B. Sugar ’85, who, as chapter president when Kris was being rushed, was conducting the vote on whether he should be offered a pledge pin or not. Unable to pronounce Zwycewicz properly, he came up with ‘Kris Lightswitch’ as something close to what he remembered someone else had called him. The name stuck, although it was shortened — as most nicknames are — to one syllable; Switch.” Tom Smith ’54
