More than a month has passed since a University of Michigan-Flint student and Theta Chi Fraternity member, Derek Self, was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver. Theta Chi leaders said they plan to honor Self with an honorary scholarship, while the university said it instead will recognize Self during its annual Celebration of Life program in April.
Self was killed in a hit-and-run incident on June 20th, after a driver failed to stop at a red light. It is believed that drugs or alcohol may have played a part in the crash.
He was a member of Theta Chi and UM-Flint’s ESports team. He joined Theta Chi in 2022. While in the fraternity, Self held many leadership positions, including vice president of health and safety, treasurer and he served as president in 2024.
According to Christopher Giordano, vice chancellor for Student Affairs at UM-Flint, groups that he was involved in were notified after his death. This includes members of Theta Chi, the entire Fraternity and Sorority community, the ESports Team and Resident Assistants and Desk Assistants.
In a statement from Sheehan Nathani, president of the UM-Flint Chapter of Theta Chi, Nathani said that Self will receive an honorary scholarship in his name.
“To honor Derek’s life and preserve his legacy, the Zeta Tau Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity in partnership with the Theta Chi Foundation for Flint is proud to establish the Derek James Self Scholarship,” Nathani said.
The new annual scholarship of $2,000 will be available in the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. The scholarship will be awarded by his parents and members of the fraternity. Theta Chi fundraised this scholarship through their local chapter in Flint.
“He was very committed to academic excellence, and so we figured one of the best ways to honor his legacy was to start a scholarship in his name,” Nathani said.
Theta Chi also helped with the funeral arrangements, including set-up, as well as reaching out to all members of the fraternity and fraternity alumni to secure speakers for the funeral.
According to Giordano, the university does not issue statements when learning of a student’s death. However, Giordano said that the Celebration of Life ceremony is where they will honor Self.
“We do remember and celebrate the deceased at our annual Celebration of Life program, which is similar to the approach taken at other universities,” Giordano said.
The Celebration of Life ceremony honors currently enrolled students who have attended classes and/or current employed faculty and staff who passed away during the academic year. The ceremony is held every April in the Happenings Room of the Harding-Mott University Center, and is open to all, including families and those affected by the loss.
Douglas Self, Derek’s twin brother and alumnus of Theta Chi, said he hopes that his brother’s life will be an inspiration to others.
“I hope that the people that know his story, that know the type of person he is, and know how much good he did are inspired by that,” Douglas said. “Hopefully that inspires them to create the change that he is no longer able to make. I already know that there are a lot of people that are following in his footsteps. It’s a kind of silver lining in a way.”
Maxwell Loxton is a writer for the Michigan Times he can be reached at mloxton@umich.edu.
