Andrew Carnes, the president of Cal State Long Beach’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, earned the Howard H. Baker Leadership Award, one of the highest honors for an undergraduate member.
The Pi Kappa Phi Supreme Chapter awards the Howard H. Baker to a Pi Kappa Phi student who demonstrates outstanding leadership and involvement independent of the fraternity while focusing on the campus and surrounding community, according to the Pi Kappa Phi website.
“For me, it’s a huge honor,” Carnes said. “I am incredibly humbled and honored to receive the reward.”
Carnes, 21, is a senior geography major with an emphasis in geographical information systems. He said he has always had a passion for being involved in the community and helping others.
On campus, Carnes has been a resident assistant for two years and involved in ASI for three years. He also has worked in the Dean of Students and the health center in the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) program.
Pi Kappa Phi is also part of “The Ability Experience.” Carnes said Pi Kappa Phi is the only fraternity in the nation to own and operate its own philanthropy branch. He said the philanthropy focuses on people with disabilities “specifically, focusing on the ability that people with disabilities have.”
Outside of school, Carnes said he is very involved in church, worship leading and umpiring little league baseball games.
Carnes said his award required two letters of recommendation and an application with essay questions. The questions asked about the importance of leadership and working in the fraternity, and why he believed he was deserving of the award.
The award is an honorary title, with no monetary or scholarship associated with it, Carnes said. Carnes said he believes the reason is that they really want someone committed to the reasoning for the award.
“A lot of my upbringing has brought me to the point of where I’m at,” Carnes said.
Coming from a small town, Highland, in San Bernardino County, Carnes said he aims to become a firefighter and “live the American dream” after graduating from CSULB.
“I would love to become a full-time firefighter,” he said. “My dad is a firefighter, my brother is, it’s something I’ve grown up with and it’s always been interesting to me and enjoyed being around.”
The award is in recognition of Howard H. Baker, who served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee between 1967 and 1985 and the Senate Majority Leader from 1981 to 1985, according to the Pi Kappa Phi website. The fraternity is comprised of over 11,000 students in the fraternity nationwide, which is almost 180 chapters, Carnes said.