Rio Nicholas - Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Scholarship
Dear Brother,

Rio Nicholas endeared himself to everyone he met with his exuberant personality. His presence was always recognizable with an incredible smile and great sense of humor. Time spent with Rio pronised to provide some type of hilarious prank with good cheer. He was an Eagle Scout, and excellent athlete, a musician and an Air Force ROTC cadet. He dreamed of serving his country one day as a fighter pilot. Rio had many great dreams which he diligently pursued. However, Rio was not always so determined. He had an epiphany midway through high school when he realized that to go th the school of his choice, get a scholarship and achieve his goal of flying F-18 fighter jets, he was going to have to apply himself much morer than he had before and work much harder than he had in the past. He re-examined his priorities, set his goals and went to work. His journey to Mixes included winning one of onlly 27 Air Force ROTC Scholarships awarded in the state of Texas. He also competed for and earned a Congressional Nomination to Kings Point (U.S. Merchant Marines Academy), one of our nation's four prestigious Service Academies. He was Subsequently accepted at King's Point but opted for Mines.
In four months at the Colorado School of Mines Rio established himself as an outstanding scholar, athlete, ROTC cadet and fraternity brother. In Sigma Phi Epsilon, Rio was well respected by his brothers and always a source for comic relief. Rio was a balanced man in every way. He competed for and earned a place on the varsity baseball team, however due to time restaints he offered his spot to another player. Later in the semster, he was called in to try out for the Varsity soccer team and was told to report in January. He maintained a strict workout regimen of lifting weights and running. He studied hard and received great grades in his classes (3.3 G.P.A.). He also maintained his commitment to our brotherhood, earning both the respect and admiration of our chapter. Rio was willing to and did offer his aid to any brother that needed it. He loved his brothers and was very compassionate about the fraternity.
Near the completion of his first semester, at the age of 19, Rio was suddenly taken from us. Resoundingly the only regret his Sig Ep brothers felt when discussing the loss, was the small amount of time that they had spent with him. Rio was a true and loyal friend, who upheld our principles with the highest esteem. He was a true inspiration to all of those who knew him. He encouraged others to believe in themselves, to never give up and to do the right thing even if it was unpopular with the majority. Rio practiced excellent time management, juggling school, ROTC, the fraternity and having fun. He was a truly balanced man.
It is a terrible, terrible thing to lose a loved one. It is unspeakably terrible to lose someone so young and full of life. We hope that this scholarship will in some way help young people to realize their dreams and to achieve their goals. We hope that you can use Rio's life and deeds as an inspiration and/or call to action to fight hard and never give up. If you learn something from Rio's life and the money from this scholarship helps you to continue your education at the Colorado School of Mines, then Rio will not have died in vain.

Sincerely

The Nicholas Family


Scholarship Requirements

1. Sophomore status in membership (one completed year, two semesters, in the fraternity)
2. Epsilon status in membership or higher (Brother mentor, or Fellow)
3. Minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0
4. Active participant in house, including intramurals and a cabinet position.

In addition to the stated requirements for application, please write an essay, not toexceed 1000 words, in which you address the following three questions.
1. Rio was truly a balanced man in all facets of life. How are you a balanced man in your life?
2. How do you feel that you embody some of Rio's strongest characteristics (conviction, determination, compassion, and humor?)
3. How have you boken away from the crowd in order to pursue your goals with integrity?
Please feel free to send any pictures or remembrances to be put on the site to kyle@kothedesign.com