2021 Collegiate Award Winners
Man of the Year
Justin S. Jacobs (Southeast Missouri State)
Justin Jacobs graduated in December 2020 from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) with a 3.79 GPA majoring in Business Administration: Accounting. After graduating early, he began his career at a medium-sized accounting firm in St. Louis and is studying for the CPA exam. He served Mu Kappa Chapter (Southeast Missouri State) as Commander (President), LEAD Chairman (member development), and Alumni Relations Chairman. As a young alumnus he has already joined the Sigma Nu volunteer ranks as a member of the Mu Kappa Alumni Advisory Board.
As Commander (President) he helped lead his chapter to its first Rock Chapter Award (top Sigma Nu chapters in the country) since 2014. He was also recognized by his campus community as IFC President and Man of the Year. In 2020 he was presented with the North American Interfraternity Conference’s Undergraduate Award of Distinction.
Within his campus community he held the positions of Interfraternity Council Vice President of Rick Management, member of the Greek Week Steering Committee, Treasurer and Secretary of Order of Omega, Treasurer of the Student Government, and Presidential Ambassador. Service to Sigma Nu Fraternity included a term as a collegiate member of the board of directors.
Chapter Advisor Chris Foeste said of him, “Justin served, learned, educated, and did all the gritty work to help take a chapter that was good, and make them desire greatness. Understand, it was his focus and mindset that helped drive the discussions, meetings, the strategic sessions, all the behind the scenes work to get a group of college age men to hold themselves and their peers accountable to our fraternity’s values, adopt the values into their everyday life, and then say that ‘we can be more, we can be better than good.’”
Another of his nominators, Katie Krodinger, Director of New Student Programs at SEMO says, “my favorite trait is his contagious enthusiasm and that he always has a smile on his face. He is an excellent example of school spirit, and the Sigma Nu values of honor, integrity, and character.”
Scholar of the Year
Maximum V. P. Waller (Oklahoma State)
Max graduated from Jenks High School in 2017 and Oklahoma State University in 2021 with a 3.98 GPA majoring in Finance and Accounting. In addition to his achievements in the classroom, Max accumulated a consistent record of service to Epsilon Epsilon Chapter (Oklahoma State), including service on the Executive Committee and as two-year Media Chairman for the Chapter’s signature philanthropy basketball tournament – the Temple Classic.
He contributed to the OSU community as a member of the President’s Leadership Council, as Head Content Creator and Marketing Chairman of the OSU Speakers Board, member of the Business Student Council, and Presenter for Greek 100. His all-around achievements led to his selection as both an OSU
Outstanding Senior and OSU Senior of Significance – the highest student honor achievable at Oklahoma State and designating him in the top 1% of students, and one of 22 seniors selected. He was also selected to join Beta Gamma Sigma, an honor society for top business students across the globe
Alongside his brother and fellow OSU Sigma Nu member, Christian Waller, he co-founded and launched a software company, Tinstar Solutions, which manages foreclosure work-flow processes for county sheriffs. Following graduation, he started work in Houston for Silvercliff Partners as an Investment Banking Analyst.
Athlete of the Year
Jerrion Z. Ealy (Mississippi)
Jerrion is currently studying Criminal Justice at the University of Mississippi and carries a 3.21 GPA. He serves Epsilon Xi Chapter (Mississippi) as a member of the Charity Bowl Committee – the largest single-chapter philanthropy in the Greek world.
He performs double duty for the Ole Miss football and baseball teams as a running back and outfielder. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft and his resume of football accomplishments include:
2020 All-American Third Team: Running Back
2020 All-SEC Second Team
2019 SEC All-Freshman Team
2019 True Freshman All-American, and,
2019 Freshman All-American Honorable Mention
Robert Cook, past Recruitment Chairman and Current Treasurer of Epsilon Xi Chapter shared that, “One of the most impressive things about Jerrion that I noticed during recruitment is his commitment to academics. We knew that between football, baseball, and fraternity obligations, Jerrion would be spread thin, but he has also blown us away with his accomplishments in the classroom. In addition to being a world-class athlete, Jerrion often tells of his aspirations to attend law school after undergrad. After his fall candidate semester—one in which he scored eleven touchdowns and gained 1,189 yards—Jerrion boasted a GPA just shy of 3.5.”
Epsilon Xi advisor Hamp Dye says of Jerrion, “He is known for carrying himself in a gentlemanly manner and for his devotion to building his skills. While fans know of his athletic ability, those that have been around him speak of his humility, his character, and how fond they are of Jerrion.”
Talent of the Year
Cody Maggiore (Butler)
Cody Maggiore graduated from Butler University with a 3.88 GPA majoring in Dance Pedagogy. His numerous dance accomplishments include:
Moving away from home as a high school student to attend a specialty dance school.
Being accepted into one of the top-three college dance programs in the country – Butler University, which regularly ranks alongside Julliard and NYU.
Selection to represent Butler’s dance department at the International Festival of Schools of Dance in Slovenia.
Butler Dance Performance Award winner in 2020 and 2021.
Throughout his time on campus, he was the Vice President of the Movement Exchange – a national non-profit that seeks to make dance accessible to children in disadvantaged communities – Education and Reflection Co-Chairman with Butler Alternative Breaks and was a member of Sigma Rho Delta (Honorary Dance Fraternity). He served the Epsilon Mu Chapter (Butler) on the Housing, Philanthropy, and Sorority Relations Committees. He also regularly volunteered at a women’s shelter in Indianapolis and spent his 2020 spring break on an international exchange with dancers from other college programs while teaching children in Panama City, Panama.
Larry Attaway, Professor and Chair of the Department of Dance at Butler University described Cody as, “A highly gifted dancer; a person of high moral and ethical standards; an activist for change in the areas of social justice, equality, and inclusiveness; Cody Maggiore appears to be the epitome of the Creed of Sigma Nu. In my opinion, he definitely believes in the Life of Love, walks in the Way of Honors, and serves in the Light of Truth.”