University of Miami alumnus Howard Schoen ’54 still has it on the diamond.

At 89, Schoen is still playing the game he grew up loving and playing. He plays in his local softball league in the north suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

“Some people say I had a wonderful long life, and I say, ‘I know I have. I’ve been a very busy person, a very active person all my life, and I feel like that’s probably the reason that I have lived as long as I have and being able to play as long as I have,'” Schoen said. “In reality, I pray daily and you thank the lord above and that he’s blessed me to do what I love for so long.”

Schoen began his baseball career at Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida, where he played infield. His senior season, Schoen, a switch-hitter, hit .303 and made the All-District First Team and All-City second team.

He was coached by Charlie Tate, who coached Schoen in high school football and baseball, the same Tate who eventually coached the Miami Hurricanes football team from 1964-1970, was an assistant for the New Orleans Saints in 1971, and was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

Under Tate’s coaching, it earned him a baseball scholarship to Miami. He was named the Hurricanes’ captain in 1953. Schoen joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at Miami two years prior, in 1951.

“Most of all, my best friends today, one in particular, was an SAE,” Schoen said on why he joined the chapter.

That friend was Holmes Braddock (Miami ’49). They both went to the same high school, ironically, but became close friends in Miami. Schoen and Braddock have remained close friends following his time at the chapter at Miami. Braddock hired him to his first position in the insurance industry after graduation.

Over the years, Schoen has been active with his chapter. He helped develop signs to put out front of the chapter house when first built in the 1960s. He’s also played in the alumni baseball game. He last played in the game eight years ago.

Despite his 5’9, 155-pound stature, Schoen had professional baseball contract offers to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cleveland Indians. However, he went into the military two months after signing a contract after being drafted, derailing his baseball career.

After returning home from the military, he became a business representative for benefit sales to employers, selling insurance plans for health, disability, and dental. While his military service sidetracked his baseball career, he made the best of his circumstances by playing softball and baseball for the First Army team. He played on several travel teams for 38 years.

While in school, he was a St. Louis Cardinals fan, and his favorite player was Enos Slaughter. He eventually changed alliances to the Braves when he moved to Georgia in 1998.

He was known for his defensive capabilities, which still holds today. He received the Defensive Most Valuable Player on five occasions in World Series Senior Softball Tournaments. He says he would have quit softball years ago but found the Cherokee Senior Softball Association changed that. Today, Howard is in the Senior Softball Hall of Fame.

He and his wife Karen have six children and 14 grandchildren. His grandson Heath is an active brother at the University of South Carolina. He will graduate in 2022.

Howard may not have been able to play in the major leagues, but he’s made the most of his life experiences. At the end of the day, he loves the game and is happy he’s been able to live this long to enjoy it.

Adam Musa ’21 grew up in the gas station business. His father and grandfather have been in the industry for over 30 years.

“My family has been in the industry since the early 80s. So when a location, and, more still, an opportunity presented itself in Miami Beach, I went for it. I didn’t let my college studies slow me down.”

Adam Musa from Miami’s Community News

The University of Miami brother now owns a car wash, FastPass Car Wash & Gas, a 24/7 service for residents in Miami Beach. His team he compiled remodeled the location, formerly a convenience store with organic food and a juice bar. He credits the help from the brothers of his chapter.

“I learned a lot from them,” Musa said. “It breathes an entrepreneurial spirit. When I used to go to the fraternity house, people talked about business and stuff like that. There is a lot of business talk.”

Musa got the opportunity to lease the location for his first business at just 19 years old.

It all started when Musa joined the fraternity in 2018. Musa was a Double Major in Real Estate & Legal Studies. The culture and environment created within the chapter helped propel Adam to take this chance and opportunity. The chapter at Miami has been one of the top IFC organizations in grade point average over the last decade, and that’s what Musa liked about the chapter.

“Everyone got interested, all my friends and fraternity brothers, and they all chipped in one way or another. We started to think outside the box,” Musa said.

Adam joined his second semester during his freshman year. Before joining, he had no business experience. He says many brothers within his chapter were very business-oriented, and it played an influence on him.

“I have brothers that started a very successful women’s fitness apparel business, a cleaning service in Miami, and many more. The point is there’s an entrepreneurial spirit that the fraternity had that led me into the business,” Musa said. “Once I got into the business, I started as a Car Wash Manager. I got the opportunity to lease the place and rebuild the whole system and found that many customers are SAE alumni. They support the business just on that premise. They take the liking that I’m young, in college and a fraternity, and running a business, so that’s helped me tremendously in terms of customer relations.”

Musa was the engine that helped the chapter raise over $60,000 for the chapter’s week-long Paddy Murphy philanthropy event his sophomore year, with $7,000 coming from the business. It was a 10-day fundraiser at the car wash where all the funds from the memberships sold and $4 car washes went directly to the fundraiser.

His roommate Ben Vinarski ’21 was the Paddy Murphy chairman, and the first year of the event, they raised money for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Anywhere from six to nine, brothers from the chapter helped raise funds.

Two years after the event, Musa’s business is still intact, and he’s now the owner of two convenience stores called Foodsmart.

“The success we had then gave me a lot of faith and inspiration towards working with other college students past the fundraiser,” Musa told VoyageMIA.

“Since then, I’ve hired and worked with several more students, including a photographer, public relations manager, and media director,” Musa says. “I take pride in my team, as it can be tough for students to get jobs in Miami that pay well and teach important skills at a young age. I think it’s great we can give students these opportunities and help them pay for their educational experience.”

Musa, now a senior at Miami, hopes the event returns next spring. The event was canceled after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“The University of Miami has allowed me to meet so many knowledgeable and diverse people whose different perspectives help me grow. I hope and envision that I’m able to hire multiple students for full-time work out of college as we start expanding into multiple South Florida locations.”

For brothers in the Miami area, FASTPASS is open 24/7 and is known for its Unlimited Wash Program, where members can pay $24.99/month for UNLIMITED car washes.

Graduation does not signify the end of Sigma Alpha Epsilon—membership is for life. More life is spent as an alumnus, and there are 17 times more of them than our collegiate body. Alumni are a significant piece of the organization, with many programs and events directly funded by those who want to give back. The Fraternity Service Center is always proud of our members’ accomplishments, especially those who excel in their careers.

Clifford Yee (Richmond ’97) was awarded as one of Washington Business Journal’s 2020 Minority Business Leaders. He serves as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for Northern Virginia Family Services, a non-profit that provides development, foster care/adoption, youth initiatives, housing, and other stability services for those in poverty. Yee was recognized for his leadership, work ethic, and focus on mental health services and educational programs.

Joshua Cohen (Miami FL ’96) was inducted into the Northwestern Mutual Forum Group, which honors the company’s leading advisors that excel in guiding clients on future planning and financial security. Less than 5% of the 6,000 eligible advisors receive this recognition. He has been with Northwestern Mutual since 1999, serving in various financial advisor roles. Cohen was recognized for his holistic approach and comprehensive focus on planning covering both insurance and investment needs.

For the 5th consecutive year, Reid Sherard (South Carolina ’00) was named the top Family Law attorney in South Carolina by Greenville Business Magazine. He leads the Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Family Law practice group, concentrating on divorce-related litigation, asset and jurisdiction disputes, and is often requested to speak at statewide seminars. Sherard was recognized for his deep litigation and appellate experience and is listed in “The Best Lawyers in America.”  

Donald Smith (Western Kentucky ’94) was named the recipient of Western Kentucky University’s 2020 Spirit of WKU Award, which honors an individual who represents enthusiasm for WKU, loyalty to the institution, and principles of the WKU experience. He serves as President of the College Heights Foundation at Western Kentucky University, where he led a record-breaking fundraising effort over the past seven years. Since 1994, he has served WKU in various roles of institutional advancement. Smith was recognized for his hard work, determination, and an ever-present commitment to make a meaningful difference in higher education.