On April 9th, Wright State’s Office of Student Involvement and Leadership held their 35th Annual Student Leadership Awards.  Many of our brothers received awards for their contributions in Sig Ep and various other campus involvements.

Leading the ceremony was Ohio Pi chapter counselor and SIL Program Manager, Jeremy Keller. Keller described the ceremony saying, “The Student Leadership Awards is a long standing tradition here at Wright State, with this year celebrating the 35th year we have held these awards. For us, it is a time that we are able to recognize any and all of our students, leaders, organizations, and WSU community members. These awards are not based on academics, but rather the impact that the recipients have had on their peers, campus, local and sometimes even national communities.”

After various awards were given out, the ceremony reached the first category where Sigma Phi Epsilon Ohio Pi members were recognized, the Emerging Leader category. This category is focused on young leaders at Wright State who are just starting their leadership journey and are expected to make large contributions at WSU.

The two brothers who received an Emerging Leader award were Hunter McCubbins and Jacob O’Connor:

• Hunter was recognized for his contributions as the Inter-fraternity Council Vice President of Recruitment and involvement in Honors Community Council, Miracle Makers, and ’67 Society. In these roles, Hunter has helped plan events for students in the on-campus housing community, built relationships with alumni and current students, and helped put on large campus events like Raider Roundup and Raiderthon for Dayton Children’s hospital.  
• Jacob was recognized for his contributions to Sig Ep where he has served many roles, including the current Vice President of Membership Development.  Jacob was also a member of the Honors Community Council, Take Flight Leadership Summit, and Student Government Association, where he is the current Residential Senator. Jacob has advocated for students in the residential community and contributed to various events for residential students.
  

  

Brothers were also recognized in the next category of the ceremony, the Established Leader award. This award is focused on students who have demonstrated leadership in the past and have maintained or increased that level of leadership.

The brothers recognized in the Established Leader category were Jacob Jones, Sean McGraw, and Logan Rex:

• Along with his contributions as the current Sigma Phi Epsilon president, Jacob was recognized for his contributions to Student Government Association, Inter-fraternity Council, Fraternity and Sorority Council, and Career Student Services Advisory Board. Jacob has held various executive board positions in these organizations and has advocated for students to find their place in Greek life and Wright State as a whole.
• Sean was recognized for his contributions to student organizations and the College of Science and Math. Sean has made contributions to Sig Ep as a standards board member and the current chapter Chaplain. He is also involved in Student Government Association as the Senator for the College of Science and Math. Sean is also on the Dean’s Student Advisory Board where he advocates for students within his college.
• Logan received the Established Leader award for his contributions to various student organizations and the residential community. Logan was the Balanced Man Scholarship chairman and is the current Vice President of Communications for Sig Ep. Logan is a Resident Assistant and the current president of the National Residence Hall Honorary. He has also been involved in other organizations such as ’67 Society, Cru Campus Ministries, Honors Community Council, and Intramural Sports.
  

  

The last award Ohio Pi members received was the Senior Leader Award. This award goes to graduating Seniors who have demonstrated strong commitment to leadership and Wright State throughout their college careers.

The two brothers who received the Senior Leader award were Austin Rex and Bentley Peed. These award recipients were recognized by having a full quote read from their nominator’s submissions.

Austin was described saying “Our fifth winner is known as a go to person and leader on Wright State’s campus. They have been involved with Student Government since their first semester on campus, and have filled a variety of roles within SGA, such as the Director of Outreach. At the same time, this leader joined Sigma Phi Epsilon in his first semester, serving as Challenge Coordinator and a member of the Executive Board. Additionally, he has been able to attend Take Flight, became a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, and had the honor to be one of the Presidents Ambassadors. Post-graduation, he plans to attend law school after working at Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Headquarters as a Regional Director.”

• Bentley was described saying “Our last winner always wanted to make a difference on campus, whether as an individual or within an organization. During their time here at WSU, this leader has set out to make an impact on their fellow students and organizations on campus. They served two years as president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, been a member of Global Public Health Brigades, Omicron Delta Kappa, and is finishing this year serving as the President of the Fraternity and Sorority Council. This senior hopes that future leaders seek out all the opportunities Wright State has to offer to make change on campus and leave their impact, as “great moments arise from those great opportunities.”
  

  

The Senior Leader award was the final award given out and the ceremony was concluded after recognizing all of Wright State’s outstanding student leaders. Jeremy Keller gave concluding thoughts on the ceremony saying “I feel, despite having to transition to a virtual ceremony this year, this event helps to bring everyone together in times of celebration, connection, and appreciation for all that we have done this year.”

Along with the brothers who received awards, many other brothers were nominated for individual awards and Sigma Phi Epsilon was nominated for Organization of the Year. Seeing Sig Ep so well represented at this ceremony left Keller very proud saying “Additionally, being able to see so many of the recipients be members of our chapter really warmed my heart. Know that they have taken their leadership skills they’ve gained from SigEp and have applied them to other organizations and leadership opportunities shows how much of an impact the SigEp experience can be. I am a very proud alumnus and Chapter Counselor.”