Contact: Jarrod Cruz, Executive Director
Email:
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PARSIPPANY, NJ — The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) announced today that one (1) Undergraduate Brother and one (1) Undergraduate Chapter are among the top few selected from the 66 international and national men’s fraternities from across the country.
Congratulations to Brother Juan Jose Hernandez (University of Northern Iowa, Spring 2017) for Undergraduate Award of Distinction and to Gamma Theta Chapter (University of Wisconsin at Madison) for Chapter Award of Distinction.
Please join us on Saturday, July 14th from 7:00-10:00pm at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown during our National Convention Awards Banquet for a special recognition presented by the North-American Interfraternity Conference. Individual Awards Banquet tickets can be purchased online here.
The Undergraduate Award of Distinction recognizes fraternity men who have found in their experience an outlet for developing as both a leader and a better man.
As President of the colony at the University of Northern Iowa, Juan Hernandez has been integral to the colonies successes in accomplishing their goals. Through his leadership, the colony has partnered with several organizations on campus that provide cultural and other educational programs and presentations to the campus community. For example, Lambda Theta Phi through Juan’s leadership served on a committee with other student organizations that planned the university’s first Latino Heritage Month campus-wide celebration, which included several events between September 15-October 15. Juan also serves on the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Committee that serves to educate the campus community and train peer leaders on this important topic and continues to raise awareness through special mental health events on campus.
In addition, Juan serves on the Diversity Fund Committee, which reviews grant proposals requesting money for diversity-related programs on campus by student organizations and has worked with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to host/sponsor the first campus-wide Multicultural Greek Showcase. Additionally, Juan has been a servant leader and gives of his time to serve as an English Teaching Assistant at the local YWCA and also serves as an Ethnic Student Promotor in the greater Cedar Falls & Waterloo communities in Iowa. Through both of these volunteer community service opportunities, he provides English education to those in need and provides outreach programs for those looking for a path towards higher education.
Through his leadership and contributions to the campus and Fraternity & Sorority community, Juan has made positive changes and leaving his legacy to the communities while also upholding a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
The Chapter Award of Distinction recognizes exceptional collegiate fraternity chapters demonstrating excellence in operations, involvement in their larger interfraternal community and a commitment to a positive fraternity experience.
The Gamma Theta Chapter has continued to live the values of the organization and achieved academic success with a 3.02 Chapter GPA while the men still put on 37 programs and events, hundreds of hours of community service and money raised for philanthropic organizations during the previous year alone.
“Throughout my time on campus, the men of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. continue to impress me in a variety of ways. From a membership perspective, the chapter is consistent in bringing in quality members, which is a testament to their presence and impact on our campus,” one nominator wrote. “They attract men that are strong advocates, activists, and have a solid moral compass. For the last two years, individuals from this chapter have received the Meyerhoff Excellence Award. This award is given to less than thirty students at UW-Madison annually.”
They say actions speak louder than words, and if there was an organization that held true to those beliefs, it would be the Gamma Theta Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. Not only did they successfully execute 37 events during the past year, but as one nominator put it; “I was particularly impressed by the quality of programming the chapter hosted. Some of their events included a Book Drive for Latinx high school students, Lanterns for Peace, UNIDOS Turkey Drive, a fundraiser to support countries effected by natural disasters, Postcards to Congress, and the Run for Refugees 5K Run/Walk. Moreover, their work surrounding the immigrant community is outstanding. It is so rare to find an undergraduate chapter so entwined in the community.”
Their commitment to our ideals and giving back to the community has been well documented. The Gamma Theta Chapter truly impresses others and the events are always made to impact the well-being and enrich the lives of their members, community, and campus. The body of work that has been produced by this entity has earned them numerous awards and it would only be fitting if they were awarded with the Chapter Award of Distinction.