Austin Claiborne UC Riverside ’13 and Adrian Claiborne Jr. UC Berkeley ’21 aren’t just brothers in Phi Kappa Psi. They’re also brothers by blood.
Born and raised in Riverside, California, the Claibornes found their way to Phi Psi at different times and different schools. For Austin, a business administration major, networking aspects were what drew him in.
“I knew that fraternities were very connected, and I was looking for a great group of guys with a strong alumni base,” he explained. “When I went to Rush, I found friends I didn’t even know were already Phi Psis.”
Since his graduation in 2016, Austin has come to treasure the lasting friendships he’s made with brothers from across the country and around the world. A self-professed introvert, he credits Phi Psi with bringing him out of his shell and honing skills that initially supported his career as a program manager for the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation and now as a social impact community relations specialist for Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
“My social skills came from Phi Psi, learning how to communicate with all kinds of people from different walks of life,” he said.
Austin is happily paying it forward by helping younger Phi Psis make their own connections and advising college members of the University of California Berkeley chapter, including his own brother. Adrian graduated in May 2024 with a political economy degree and is teaching English at the Gyeonggido Institute for Lifelong Learning in South Korea.
“I didn’t think I would join a fraternity, but after meeting Phi Psis through Austin and the guys at Berkeley, I realized I loved it,” Adrian shared.
When he was a young kid, Adrian would visit Austin at Riverside, getting to know some of the brothers and seeing first-hand what being part of a fraternity was really like.
“UC Riverside is a big commuter campus; it’s secluded in a way because students go back home in the evening and on weekends,” Austin said. “For that reason, we had to be very creative and intentional in planning Phi Psi events like barbecues and basketball tournaments.”
“It was fun being able to spend time with Austin at those events and being embraced by the Phi Psi Brothers at such a young age,” Adrian added.
