Beginning his third year here at Stevens, Sigma Nu brother Christopher Vaughan received Sigma Nu Fraternity, Incorporated’s Athlete of the Year award for the 2013-2014 academic year.
Vaughan was also named Stevens’ Male Athlete of the Year, in addition to being the volleyball team’s first All-American player. Vaughan joined Sigma Nu in the fall of his sophomore year. Since then, Sigma Nu has been an essential part of his life at Stevens. He stated: “I could not have received any of the awards this semester without my brotherhood.”
He was selected for this award due to his academic and athletic excellence. While extremely proud of his accomplishment, he accepted it modestly: “I have hopes and dreams in volleyball and I can’t stop here.” Wishing for this award to be an accolade he could reflect upon in the future as a part of an increasing brilliant volleyball career.
Vaughan’s award earned national recognition for himself, the Gamma Delta Chapter of Sigma Nu, and Stevens. Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc. held a press release praising Vaughan for his selection, as well as recognizing his academic accomplishments in the “rigorous electrical engineering program at Stevens.” This kind of recognition puts Stevens on the athletic radar since many do not see Stevens as an “athletic” school. It shows that Stevens students like Chris Vaughan are capable both academically and athletically. Gaining the recognition for the Gamma Delta Chapter of Sigma Nu is also a boon, gaining the chapter a larger network to aid in improving both themselves and by proxy, the entire Stevens community.
The award was presented to Vaughan at Sigma Nu’s Grand Chapter Awards Ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee. In front of a crowd of nearly five hundred fraternity officials and brothers, Vaughan accepted the award with a speech, a speech on a scale he said he had never experienced before.
In order to receive Sigma Nu’s Athlete of the Year, the individual must apply with a recommendation form for themselves. “Mark Scalzo was one of the most influential people; he was always pushing me to apply.” Vaughan said. Not imagining himself as the kind of person to apply to try and win an award, Vaughan eventually did so because of the encouragement surrounding him from both his fraternity and his team.
Emphasizing the importance of others’ influence on his accomplishment, Vaughan spoke at length about his team and coaches’ contributions to his success. “This team is the most closely knit team I’ve been a part of,” he said, “My coaches also put a lot of time in with me during and after practice with individual training.”
The importance of volleyball extends beyond Vaughan’s college career. “My dream is to play professional beach volleyball,” he said. His love of the sport has greatly influenced his time here at Stevens and his life, calling the award: “Something I can always look back and say I’ve done it before, so I can do it time and time again.”
Christopher Vaughan is an exceptional example of the caliber of student that Stevens produces. This award is evidence of the quality of education at Stevens, of the Gamma Delta Chapter of Sigma Nu, and the Stevens community as a whole. Vaughan intends to expand his career beyond this esteemed recognition, and with the same determination that brought him to the place he is now, he is sure to succeed.
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