Three UTM students were awarded $500 scholarships from the Tennessee Kappa Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity during the Balanced Man Scholarship Banquet on Thursday.
SigEp looks to reward those incoming freshmen who exhibit the qualities of being a Balanced Man: leader, scholar, athlete and a gentleman.
Applications for this scholarship are mailed to all incoming male freshman students. After receiving applications, the brothers of SigEp will screen the applications, narrowing them down to five finalists.
Members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon community board, consisting of university faculty as well as community leaders, choose the finalists.
Winners from this year’s Balanced Man Scholarship Banquet are Matthew Adams, Benjamin Parham and Bryan Boggs.
Adams is a Civil Engineer-ing major from McEwen High School.
He graduated 18th in his class while being a member of varsity basketball for four years, Spanish club for three years and being actively involved in his community.
Parham is a Business major from South Fulton High School. Graduating sixth in his class with a 33 ACT, Parham has showed a continued commitment to academics. He has also participated in high school basketball and football. Parham is currently a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award at UTM.
Boggs is a Mechanical Engineering major from Zion Christian Academy high school in Columbia.
Boggs’ accomplishments include graduating first in his class with a 4.0 grade point average. He was also the student body president and varsity captain for the basketball, soccer and football teams. A missions trip to Peru is one among many other accomplishments.
Speakers during this year’s banquet included Sandy Stevens of Martin Community Developmental Services and Chancellor Nick Dunagan of UT Martin.
Stevens challenged the fraternity to continue its active participation in assisting those in the community. Some of the events that the brothers of SigEp have done this past year with CDS include a Valentine’s Day Dance and Field Day.
Following the challenge from Stevens, Dunagan announced to the crowd that he had received a letter from the Grand President of Sigma Phi Epsilon detailing the local chapter’s achievement into Phi Beta Kappa Wheelhouse. To be eligible for the Wheelhouse, a chapter must have at least a 3.15 grade point average.
This announcement follows the chapter’s recent award of highest GPA among UT Martin fraternities for the 2003 calendar year.
Dunagan also gave a challenge to the brothers of SigEp to continue their leadership, academics and involvement on campus.
Other guests during the banquet included Dr. Ted Mosch, professor of Political Science.
Sigma Phi Epsilon began on the campus of UT Martin in 1993. During the past 10 years, the chapter has endeavored to impress upon its members the ideals of the balanced man through a four-step developmental process that will coincide with the national fraternity’s objective of “building balanced men for the world’s communities.”