The Fraternity has named the following finalists for the 2018 International Balfour Award (IBA): Nick Chambers, EMORY 2018; William Heath, BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN 2018; and Walker Wiggins, ARKANSAS 2018. The honor is presented annually to the person who is believed to be the Fraternity's most outstanding senior, based upon his success in academics and campus, community and Sigma Chi involvement.
The finalists will be interviewed by a selection committee at this summer's at Balfour Leadership Training Workshop at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and the winner will be announced on Aug. 4 at the event's closing session.
Chambers was selected as a finalist after serving as his chapter’s Consul and captain of Emory University’s baseball team and being named a 2018 Academic All-American. He also was named to Emory’s 100 Senior Honorary, a group of emerging leaders. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has interned for Citibank in New York City and for the Heitman real estate investment management firm in Chicago.
Heath graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama, as a pre-med student with a double major in chemistry and mathematics. He earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board honor societies and Order of Omega. He also participated on the student body’s Honor Council. As Consul, Heath led his chapter to its 2017 win of the Daniel William Cooper Award for having what was deemed the Fraternity's most outstanding undergraduate chapter scholarship program.
Wiggins, a biomedical engineering major, graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with a 4.0 GPA. He was his chapter's Quaestor and Magister. Wiggins also was a student body senator, a peer mentor with the university’s freshman engineering program and an ambassador of the university’s honors college. Additionally, he created a volunteer network for the Fayetteville (Arkansas) Boys and Girls Club.
Before being named an IBA finalist, Chambers, Heath and Higgins were province (regional) and chapter Balfour Award winners.
The 2018 IBA winner will join the previous year’s honoree and two undergraduate representatives to serve on the Fraternity’s Executive Committee (EC). The IBA winner will be on the committee for two years as an advocate for undergraduates.
