David Grahl grew up on a farm in Northwest Missouri. After high school, he enrolled at Missouri Western State University, earning degrees in math and computer science, excelling in the latter. Upon graduation, David started working at a local bank, where he was able to make use of those skills.

While at MWSU, David joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. As someone new to the area without many childhood friends, he saw it as a chance to meet new people and make connections. It gave him lifelong friendships and helped him grow as a leader by holding offices and involving himself in various committees. He credits Lambda Chi for providing skills that aided his career in project management.

In his free time, David enjoys being outdoors - going camping, hiking, and learning how to ski. He started taking 2-3 trips per year out to Colorado, eventually deciding to move there full-time. David lived in Colorado for 10 years, working at a bank and enjoying the mountain lifestyle. When the bank he worked for was bought out by Chase, they offered David a great opportunity to relocate to Ohio. Here, he worked for Chase for another 17 years before ultimately retiring.

In retirement, David now has more time to devote to his passion for travel and photography. He spent many years journeying extensively across the South Pacific, walking through rainforests and connecting with local cultures, as he prefers to stay off the "beaten path." More recently he has expanded his horizons to new destinations like Europe, Africa, and Central America. His latest pursuit is wildlife photography, especially in Costa Rica. He has even started writing a book about his South Pacific adventures.

To give back to the fraternity that gave him so much, David has decided to make a planned gift. He hopes his gift will enable future generations of members to grow from their fraternity experience like he did. He also hopes it will inspire other brothers to contribute and build a legacy of creating better men to make the world a better place. David believes the "Fraternity helps create great men. And the more people we have like that, the better the world can be."