During a national convention last month, Ole Miss’s Iota Chapter of Lambda Sigma was awarded Honor Chapter status. The distinction was awarded during the Lambda Sigma’s annual National President’s Leadership Conference in Atlanta.

Lambda Sigma is a national service- and leadership-based honor society for college sophomores.

To attain Honor Chapter status, chapters must demonstrate a strong commitment to community service, send their presidents to the National President’s Leadership Conference and complete various administrative duties throughout the year. Ole Miss chapter president, Olivia Jordan, attended the conference and accepted the award based on the chapter’s achievements of last year.

Jordan said receiving the distinction “definitely pushes” this year’s members to exceed last year’s level of accomplishment and community involvement.

“It was great to attend the national conference and watch the Iota chapter receive National Chapter (status) again this year,” said Ryan Upshaw, Iota Chapter’s faculty advisor. “Last year’s president, Cade Slaughter, did a fantastic job of leading the organization and Olivia has already set a high bar for the chapter this year.”

Upshaw is an assistant dean of the School of Engineering.

This year, the chapter will work with the Ole Miss Food Bank and Toys for Tots and planning other seasonal projects, including Christmas caroling for children and the elderly. The food bank and Toys for Tots projects align with Lambda Sigma’s national service initiative of helping at-risk youth in the chapter’s community.