NEW ORLEANS, LA - Theta Chi Fraternity is proud to announce the two runners-up for the 2023/2024 Reginald E.F. Colley Award, the highest honor the Fraternity can bestow upon a collegiate member. The award is presented annually to a collegiate member who best demonstrates distinguished service to alma mater, Fraternity, and chapter.
1st Runner Up – Garret B. Towe (Zeta Rho/Kentucky 2024)
2nd Runner Up – Walker D. Piles (Iota Mu/Missouri 2024)
First Runner-Up
Garret B. Towe (Zeta Rho/Kentucky 2024)
Brother Towe joined Zeta Rho Chapter as a freshman, graduating from the University of Kentucky in May 2024 with two bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and Spanish with a 3.44 GPA. Towe went on to serve his chapter Scholarship Chair, Vice President and Chapter President.
Alongside his membership in Theta Chi, Towe also served as Community Events Coordinator and Corporate Chair for DanceBlue, a student-led organization that raised funds and awareness for the pediatric oncology/hematology clinic at the Kentucky Children's Hospital. During his time as Corporate Chair, a record-breaking $2.1 Million was raised for the clinic and oncology research, making DanceBlue the biggest philanthropy in the SEC.
Additionally, Towe also served as the Vice President of Operations and Logistics for Medlife. The group traveled to Cusco, Peru where they visited many local villages several hours through the mountains to provide medical, dental, pharmaceutical resources and services as well as education about many common ailments and issues associated with that region.
In his letter of recommendation, Salem Awwad, the Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Kentucky shared “what I appreciate most about Garret is that he is genuinely a kind and good person. He always goes out of his way to say hello to not only myself but our staff members as well. He finds ways to joke about different things and he just genuinely cares. For me, that means more than anything else that is written down on paper. I tell all our young men that my goal for them when they are joining a fraternity is that this experience helps them to become better men and even better people. I genuinely appreciate Garret and the person he is and I know being a member of Zeta Rho Chapter and a brother of Theta Chi has helped him along that path."
Second Runner-Up
Walker D. Piles (Iota Mu/Missouri 2024)
Brother Piles graduated in May 2024 with a 3.9 GPA with a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in economics.
Following graduation, Piles accepted a role as a Sales Associate at PepsiCo in St. Louis.
Within the chapter, Piles served as Chapter President and Social Chairman. He is also a Resolute Man.
In addition to his involvement within Theta Chi, he was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity where he held many officer roles, a four-year member of the Club Water Polo team, and a member of both the Mizzou Digital Marketing Club and the Mizzou Marketing Club.
Taylor Prescott Morrow, Faculty Advisor for Alpha Kappa Psi and Senior Academic Advisor for the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri stated, “Walker Piles embodies the essence of a true fraternity man – one who exemplifies leadership, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. His contributions to both Theta Chi and Alpha Kappa Psi reflect his unwavering dedication to the principles of brotherhood, service, and personal development.
First presented in 1929, the Colley Award is named for Reginald E.F. Colley, a World War I veteran and past member of Theta Chi’s board of directors, the Grand Chapter. As a member of Phi Chapter at North Dakota State University, Brother Colley developed a celebrated reputation as a campus, community, and civic leader. He graduated in 1915 and eventually headed overseas to fight for the U.S. Army on the Western Front. Brother Colley died at the age of 39, but his legacy of leadership continues to inspire future generations of talented Theta Chis. Today, the Colley Award is treasured as the Fraternity’s most prestigious collegiate honor.