Southeast Missouri State University senior Patrick Vining was awarded the greatest honor an undergraduate Lambda Chi Alpha member can receive on July 20 at the semiannual Lambda Chi Alpha General Assembly in Phoenix.

The Cyril F. "Duke" Flad Outstanding Undergraduate Award is an award given annually to one undergraduate Lambda Chi Alpha brother. Vining is one of approximately 11,000 Lambda Chi Alpha undergraduates and one of more than a dozen applicants nominated by chapters nationwide that were reviewed by a selection committee.

Vining said he was shocked when he received the phone call letting him know he would be honored with the award at the General Assembly.

"I thought it was a mistake or something," Vining said. "It just was such an honor. I was really surprised. A lot of really cool people have won this award in the past, so it's definitely an honor just to have won it. I'm really humbled by it."

The most recent Southeast Lambda Chi Alpha undergraduate to win this award was Joe Gholson who won in 2009. Gholson now attends Harvard Medical School.

Vining attributes his winning of this award to the foundation and core values of Lambda Chi Alpha, which are loyalty, duty, respect, service and stewardship, honor, integrity and personal courage.

"It's really special to me because Lambda Chi has played such an important role in my college life," Vining said. "Our core values are something that I try to live by. I'm always trying to become better, and I think Lambda Chi is a big part of the reason that I am able to continuously work to become a better person."

Vining is in the pre-medical program and will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics. He volunteers his time to on- and off-campus organizations. Aside from having held multiple positions in the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, Vining is serving his second term as president of the Student Government Association and is also a Presidential Ambassador, a position awarded to students by Southeast president Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins.

"I know Patrick as a very honest, trustworthy and organized young man who is willing to speak out to benefit his fellow students," Dobbins said in a university press release. "He is respectful and thoughtful in his deliberations and willing to consider all sides of an issue before making decisions."

Vining played a significant role in efforts to raise money after the Delta-Phi Zeta Southeast chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha experienced the death of their brother Scott Wood to a rare form of bone-marrow cancer.

According to a university press release, the Delta-Phi Zeta Southeast chapter has raised over $10,000 to benefit cancer research and the Wood family.

Dr. Murphy Osborne, former board chairman of Lambda Chi Alpha, presented Vining with the award.

"Last spring the men of Delta-Phi experienced a tragedy -- the death of one of their brothers," Osborne said, according to a university press release. "When they needed comfort and leadership, Brother Vining was among one of the members to step forward. In true Lambda Chi fashion, the men transformed a tragedy into a cause."

Vining is thankful for the guidance of his fraternity brothers and chapter, who lead him to becoming an individual capable of winning such a prestigious award.

"It's just great to be a part of something bigger than myself," Vining said. "I'm really proud of where we are on campus as an organization. Obviously we can always strive to be better and everything, but I'm really proud of us as a group. I couldn't have won it without my chapter."