The annual Senior Awards were presented to 12 seniors this past Saturday, April 16, in the Alumnae Lounge in the Aidekman Arts Center.
The awards were first instituted in 1955 and are sponsored by the Tufts University Alumni Association. Students are nominated by their advisors and others with whom they have worked with in the Tufts community. Those who nominated students were also invited to attend the ceremony.
This year's Senior Award recipients were: Sarah Affel, Chike Aguh, Jessica Gioia, Armen Nercessian, Emily Pfeil, Matthew Pohl, Natassia Pura, Christopher Roughton, Avantika Taneja, Christopher Valente, Jeffrey Volinski and Zeleka Yeraswork.
"It was a real honor," Valente, also a Fulbright Scholar recipient, said. "It was nice to be recognized [and] nice to sit at a table with everyone I've worked with at Tufts."
Affel said the ceremony was "really lovely and well-run." She said she was also happy that she was able to receive the award in the presence of her parents and advisor who she was able to thank for their support.
Both Valente and Affel said they were also impressed with the achievements of their fellow students. "[It was] pretty amazing to hear what people had done," Affel said.
The awards are given in consideration of four criteria: academic achievement, wide participation in campus and community activities, outstanding qualities of leadership, and potential for future alumni leadership and service.
There is no predetermined number of awards given at each year's Senior Awards ceremony, but the number has hovered around 10 students in past ceremonies. This year's number of 12 students placed the Class of 2005 right behind last year's 13 winners.
- by Anthony McGovern
