Written by: Amy Nelson
The Greek community at The University of Akron has been working for the past year to achieve high standards, increase community service hours and donation dollars and improve leadership skills. Sororities and fraternities were acknowledged for their achievements at the 36th annual Greek Leadership Awards held on March 4 in the Student Union Ballrooms.
Several awards were given out, including sportsmanship awards and the Sorority and Fraternity Chapter Excellence awards. After chapter awards were distributed, individual awards were handed out. Greeks look forward to see who wins the final awards of Greek Man and Woman of the Year.
This year, the Greek Man of the Year went to Chad Warrick, senior, of Phi Kappa Tau and Greek Woman of the Year went to Rachel Koroknay, senior, of Delta Gamma.
The Greek Man and Woman of the Year awards acknowledge those suburb leaders who go above and beyond in Greek life, academics and involvement on campus. It also includes showing commitment to volunteering and being active in serving their campus and home communities.
Chad Warrick has held numerous positions within Greek life and his fraternity. He has been Phi Kappa Tau’s recruitment, scholarship and social chairman. More recently he has been the president of Phi Kappa Tau from spring 2010 to fall 2011. Warrick was also a member of the Interfraternity Council during his time as Phi Kappa Tau president. He served as the Interfraternity Council’s executive assistant from spring 2011 to fall 2011.
On top of being a Greek, Warrick is also an active member in the Zips Programming Network. He has served multiple positions, including President in fall 2010 to spring 2011.
Warrick has continuously made a difference in the Akron community and his home community.
“Community Service is a big part of fraternity life and I try to do as much as I can to better the community,” he said. “Since coming into the Greek community in spring 2009, I have looked to be very involved in both my chapter and in the Greek community as a whole. I have learned through my interfraternalism how to work well with other chapters and how to compromise and socialize with the different personalities on campus.”
Rachel Koroknay, Greek Woman of the Year, is currently studying abroad in London. She was not able to attend the Greek Leadership Awards but was excited to hear of the news via her sorority through Twitter.
Koroknay, just like Warrick, has been an integral part of her sorority, Delta Gamma. She has served has her sorority’s director of alumni, vice president of social standards and later chapter president in spring 2011 to fall 2011. She has also worked for the university and was an Emerging Leader in Ritchie Hall. Koroknay worked tirelessly to do well in school and in her extracurricular activities.
Koroknay’s recommenders stated that she is “the calm in the storm.” Koroknay was able to be a voice of reason for her chapter and keep her cool in all situations. Many of her sorority and Greek community members look up to her for being so positive when it was easy to be disheartened and feel like giving up.
The women of Delta Gamma are extremely proud of their former president. They have seen their chapter grow and prosper through the guidance and care of Koroknay’s leadership abilities.
