Junior and former two-time Tufts Community Union (TCU) presidential candidate Joe Mead was honored with the first annual Alex Mendell award.
The award is given in honor of the sophomore senator who passed away earlier this year.
The Alex Mendell Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a sophomore or junior who though his or her leadership, in a variety of campus activities, brings together students representing a broad spectrum of the community.
The recipient should also demonstrate a "generosity of spirit and character that both contributes to the self esteem of others and to their love of Tufts."
The Academic Awards Committee chose the recipient, but Tom Mendell, Alex's father, said the family was very pleased with the selection.
"From everything that we've heard, Joe embodies the genuine spirit of each of the admirable traits enumerated above," he said.
Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said Mendell "seemed to embody the spirit of belonging to number of different organizations, being a catalyst to bring people together."
"I am trying to work for Tufts everyday," Mead said. He reiterated a number of times how honored he was to receive the award.
Mead and Mendell became good friends through their joint involvement in the TCU Senate and the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Mead said this gave the award a "special significance."
"It was somehow fitting that in inaugural year, it given to somebody who was good friends with Alex," Reitman said.
The award brought mixed feelings. "It is an extreme honor, but it is also bittersweet," Mead said. "You don't want to receive [an award] in honor of your friend who's passed away."
Mead plans on using the endowed gift that accompanies the award to finance his tuition.
Funds for the gift were collected from private donations.
The amount of the scholarship is not fixed -- as an endowed amount, it will continually change based on the principle and current market rate.
Tom Mendell was extremely grateful for all the support the family has received this past year.
"The Mendell family would like to extend its sincere thanks to the Tufts students, faculty and administration for their hundreds of letters and other outpourings of support after Alex's tragic death," he said.
Reitman felt that the award is the best way to help commemorate everything that Alex did for Tufts. "It was a pleasure to be able to work with family find a way that Alex can be remembered perpetually," he said.
