Twin brothers Preston and Lawson Ewing took separate paths to Sigma Nu, one at Alabama and one at TCU, but their journeys share the same bond of brotherhood and a similar legacy of chapter impact.
Twin brothers Preston and Lawson Ewing have always shared a close bond. Growing up outside of Memphis, Tennessee, they experienced most milestones side by side—school, sports, and family. Yet when it came time for college, the brothers set out on different paths. Lawson enrolled at Texas Christian University (TCU), while Preston pursued baseball before transferring to the University of Alabama.
What neither anticipated was that, despite being hundreds of miles apart, both would find a home in Sigma Nu. Lawson joined the Lambda Epsilon Chapter at TCU, and Preston joined the historic Theta Chapter at Alabama. Their journeys, though separate, became parallel stories of leadership, growth, and service, culminating in both being recognized as Alpha Affiliate Award recipients, one of the Fraternity’s highest collegiate honors.
Finding Sigma Nu by Coincidence
For Lawson, joining Sigma Nu was the result of a classic recruitment process. Coming into TCU without connections, he explored his options and found a fit with the Lambda Epsilon Chapter. “I didn’t know anybody coming into TCU,” he recalled, “so I went through informal recruitment, really liked the guys that I met that recruited me… I totally went in blindly. And then I guess it was just kind of coincidence that Preston got a bid a year later at a different university.”
Preston’s path was more winding. After initially spending a year playing college baseball, he transferred to Alabama and explored fraternity life. He already knew of Sigma Nu through Lawson’s involvement, but he emphasized that he wasn’t seeking out the same fraternity. “It’s not like I was going to Alabama hunting for a bid to Sigma Nu,” he said. “I went through the rush process, met a lot of the great guys over at the Theta Chapter, and kind of fell in love with that chapter. They checked all the boxes for me with campus involvement and grades. I wanted to be a part of a group that would push me to excel.”
What began as coincidence soon became a shared commitment, with each brother excelling in his respective chapter.
Growing Together, Miles Apart
Though they each found opportunities to lead within their separate chapters, Preston and Lawson found ways to support each other. Lawson, who was a year ahead, had already served as Commander when Preston assumed the same role in Alabama. “It was very nice for me to have a brother and a family connection that I could call on if I needed some honest advice,” Preston said.
For Lawson, the opportunity to visit Alabama and another Sigma Nu chapter underscored the differences and similarities between his and his brother’s experiences. He noted that Alabama’s Theta Chapter, with its size and legacy, operated at a different scale than TCU’s newer Lambda Epsilon Chapter. Yet those differences only deepened his appreciation for Sigma Nu’s broader impact. “It was a good opportunity for us to both see Sigma Nu as something so much bigger than Theta and Lambda Epsilon. It’s a bunch of guys serving a purpose that is bigger than themselves.”
Recognition as Alpha Affiliate Award Recipients
This summer, both Preston and Lawson joined an elite group of Sigma Nu men: Alpha Affiliates. The honor, reserved for the top ten graduating seniors nationwide, is a recognition of leadership, service, and embodiment of the Fraternity’s ideals.
For Lawson, the award represented accountability to continue serving. “I think the Alpha Affiliate Award just solidifies the importance of paying it forward and serving my chapter as an alumnus,” he said.
Preston echoed those sentiments, crediting older brothers in his chapter who helped him find his footing. “If it wasn’t for them, I definitely wouldn’t be receiving this award at all. It kind of speaks volumes, the brotherhood that Sigma Nu brings to you.”
Their shared recognition also carried special significance for their family. “We’re 22, but we still like making our mom happy,” Preston joked, “so that’s just really cool to get to achieve this award alongside Lawson.”
Lessons Learned
As they transition into postgraduate life, Lawson working in Dallas and Preston working toward a master’s degree at Alabama, both brothers reflect on the lessons Sigma Nu gave them. For Preston, it’s the importance of seizing opportunities: “In college, opportunities don’t necessarily come to you, so I would say take them once you get them. Get out of your comfort zone because you got a good group of guys that’ll support you through it.”
Lawson draws inspiration from fraternity as a community endeavor. Quoting one of his professors, he said, “If you go alone, you’ll go fast. But if you go with others, you’ll go far. And that’s something that I think can relate to fraternity in a sense of being supported by a ton of guys and not doing college alone.”
A Shared Legacy
From Memphis to Fort Worth to Tuscaloosa, the journeys of Preston and Lawson Ewing reveal the strength of Sigma Nu’s brotherhood across chapters and campuses. They entered college determined to forge their own identities, but found themselves connected once again, this time through the Legion of Honor.
In their leadership, in their service, and in their recognition as Alpha Affiliates, the Ewings show the powerful impact of the Fraternity’s principles of Love, Honor, and Truth. For Sigma Nu, their story is a reminder that while each chapter has its own traditions, the heart of the fraternity is universal.
And for Preston and Lawson, it is proof that even when paths diverge, brotherhood, both familial and fraternal, remains the tie that binds.