SAN ANTONIO (July 11, 2026) — Theta Chi Fraternity is proud to announce Hunter Lynch (Epsilon Delta/Youngstown State 2026) as the first runner-up and Jakob Cadwallader (Gamma Phi/Nebraska Wesleyan 2026) as the second runner-up for the 2025/2026 Reginald E.F. Colley Award, the Fraternity’s highest collegiate honor. The Colley Award is awarded annually by the International Fraternity, recognizing distinguished service to alma mater, Fraternity, and community.
Hunter Lynch (Epsilon Delta/Youngstown State 2026)
Brother Lynch served Epsilon Delta Chapter in numerous leadership roles, including Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Philanthropy Chairman, IFC delegate, Greek Campus Life Delegate, and several additional officer and committee positions. Throughout his collegiate experience, he became one of the most trusted leaders by strengthening the chapter’s structure, officer transition process, financial accountability, philanthropic programming, and its future.
Some of Lynch’s most significant contributions included the creation of a centralized documentation system and centralized calendar platform. He also assisted with onboarding the chapter to new billing software and supporting its philanthropy reporting process. His leadership earned Theta Chi increased recognition on campus, including Fraternity of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025, the 2025 Kessler Award for Best Philanthropy Event, multiple Greek Week and Greek Sing championships, and several individual chapter honors.
His philanthropic efforts were especially impactful, including expanding G.I. Week programming for the United Service Organizations (USO) and the chapter’s Italian Dinner—a long-standing philanthropy for Epsilon Delta. His work contributed to approximately $5,000 raised annually for the USO and roughly 400 volunteer hours by the chapter’s collegians each year.
Beyond Theta Chi, Lynch was a major contributor to YSU’s interfraternal community. He served as assistant vice president of recruitment and vice president of health and safety for the IFC, restoring Rush Week in the fall 2025 semester. He also served Greek Campus Life as fundraising chairman and later as co-chair, helping coordinate major Greek-wide programming and leading a fundraiser that generated approximately $3,000—the largest amount raised by any Greek Campus Life fundraiser in campus history. His work across the Greek community earned him recognition as the 2025/2026 IFC Man of the Year and Greek Life MVP.
Academically, Lynch graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration and a minor in entrepreneurship while maintaining a 3.96 GPA. He earned President’s List honors six times, Dean’s List honors seven times, graduated summa cum laude, and was selected for membership in Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society, and Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society.
Epsilon Delta Chapter President Andrew Cvetkovic said, “Hunter’s achievements on paper are certainly impressive; however, what truly sets him apart is the impact he has had on the internal strength and culture of our organization. During his time as Vice President, he stepped into a role that required both authority and stability at a critical moment for our chapter. Hunter rose to that challenge without hesitation, providing structure, accountability, and direction when it was needed most.”
Jakob Cadwallader (Gamma Phi/Nebraska Wesleyan 2026)
Brother Cadwallader served Gamma Phi Chapter as Alumni Relations Chairman, Marshal, and Chapter President, helping continue the chapter’s culture of excellence during his time at Nebraska Wesleyan University. In those roles, he strengthened alumni relations, supported recruitment, improved pledge education, and helped guide the chapter’s operations and long-term planning.
As Chapter President, Cadwallader led Gamma Phi through strong fall and spring recruitment efforts, supported philanthropic campaigns benefiting the USO, and helped strengthen chapter operations through new legislation and long-term planning. During his time in the chapter, Gamma Phi earned the 2022/2023 Chapter Achievement Award and back-to-back Alter Awards in 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.
On campus, Cadwallader was a four-year member of the Nebraska Wesleyan men’s golf team, balancing a collegiate athletic career with leading his chapter, succeeding academically, and giving back to his community. He also represented the men’s golf team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where he advocated for student-athletes and collaborated with peers from other athletic programs.
His service to the Lincoln community reflected his interest in healthcare and commitment to helping others. Cadwallader volunteered with Clinic with a Heart, a local medical and dental clinic serving underserved and low-income populations. During his sophomore year, he spent 16 weeks serving as a Spanish interpreter for patients and families, helping guide them through intake, medical screening, physician consultation, and discharge.
Cadwallader also served through the Lincoln Snow Angels Program, Meals on Wheels, highway cleanup efforts, Trunk-or-Treat events, the Nebraska Wesleyan food pantry, and Theta Chi philanthropy events benefiting the USO.
Academically, Cadwallader graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in biology and maintained a 3.90 GPA, earning placement on the Academic Honors List seven times. He was inducted into Beta Beta Beta Biology Honorary Society, Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honorary Society, and Order of Omega Greek Honor Society. He was also named to the American Rivers Conference All-Academic Team for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons and received Academic All-Conference recognition in 2024.
Cadwallader’s commitment to healthcare extended beyond the classroom. He accumulated more than 190 hours of job shadowing, gained hands-on clinical experience, and worked in an as-neededrole at Lincoln Pediatric Group, where he helped coordinate care for more than 100 patients daily while collaborating with physicians and nursing staff. He also previously worked as an in-home health caregiver and was recognized as Caregiver of the Month within three months of being hired after completing specialized training in person-centered care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Gamma Phi Chapter President Cameron Olson (2027) said, “Academically, Jakob maintained a 3.90 GPA while completing a demanding biology degree, where he earned a place on the Dean’s List seven times. These are not the numbers of someone coasting on talent; they reflect a student who shows up every day and puts in the work, even while carrying a full load of extracurricular and professional commitments.”
In his letter of recommendation, Chapter Adviser Dustin Bartley (2003) said Cadwallader’s growth as a leader stood out throughout his collegiate experience.
“[Jakob] has grown significantly as a leader during his time in Theta Chi,” Bartley said. “His progression from initiate to Alumni Relations Chairman, to Marshal, to President is impressive by itself, but seeing him mature from a somewhat reserved individual to an active, collaborative Chapter President has been a joy.”
Together, Lynch and Cadwallader represent the spirit of the Reginald E.F. Colley Award through their academic achievement, chapter leadership, service to others, and commitment to strengthening the communities around them.
About the Colley Award:
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, 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.