At Pittsburg State University, peer leadership, mentorship, and real‑world experience draw students to a thriving fraternity community — thriving so much, in fact, that its Interfraternity Council, IFC president, and IFC advisor all earned national awards.
Pitt State was one of just 10 councils to earn the Outstanding IFC Award from the North American Interfraternity Conference — and the only NCAA Division II campus among this year’s recipients.
The recognition comes alongside two individual honors for Pitt State leaders: Owen Mall, an Automotive Technology major and the 2025 IFC president, received the Outstanding IFC President Award, and IFC Advisor Sydney Anselmi (BS ‘13, MS ‘15) earned the Outstanding IFC Advisor Award.
The NIC’s 2025 award slate recognizes councils and individuals whose leadership, peer governance, and community impact advance the fraternity experience.
“Through IFC, I’ve built leadership skills, stepped outside my comfort zones, improved my soft skills, strengthened my involvement on campus, and gained confidence in public,” Mall said. “And none of that would have been possible for me or any of the other members without the support of Sydney.”
Becoming leaders
IFC serves as the governing body for Pitt State’s fraternities, with student officers elected from each chapter to collaborate on recruitment, education, accountability, and community engagement. Fraternities and sororities at Pitt State are registered student organizations and part of national networks of chapters.
As advisor, Anselmi meets one‑on‑one with chapters and counsels the council executive board — work that students say has been pivotal.
“Sydney is someone you can trust, someone you can rely on,” said Noah Yeakey (Sigma Chi), current IFC president and an Applied Sciences major with a focus in Construction Management and Electrical Technology. “Anytime we have ideas, we go straight to Sydney.”
In high school, he wasn’t a leader and wasn’t confident.
“I didn’t even consider running for a position, but Sydney encouraged me,” Yeakey said. “I went from not knowing what fraternities are to being president for all fraternities. She pushed me to step outside my comfort zone.”
Mall (Sigma Chi), a first‑generation college student, shared a similar story.
“I had no idea about fraternity life. My first year, I wanted things to do and to be connected. I met a fraternity member at the gym, got involved, and it changed my whole experience here,” he said. “Public speaking was not a thing for me. Being part of this brought me out of my shell. Sydney supported me the whole way. Now, I have a whole brotherhood.”
