When considering who should serve as Tufts Community Union president, the most important question is simple: Who can you depend on? Brendan French is dependable, well-rounded and consistently willing to do the work that keeps the student government running. He not only has plans, but works to ensure that they happen and keeps his promises.
We first met Brendan at the fall 2023 TCU Senate retreat. Right from the start, he was friendly, outgoing and genuinely eager to understand people, learn more about the Tufts community and how he can support it. That curiosity is informed by his childhood and the perspective he gained from living abroad in China. Over the past three years, he hasn’t lost that mindset. That same curiosity and enthusiasm continue to shape how he approaches his work.
Since his first month at Tufts, Brendan has been deeply invested in the TCU Senate. While still finding his footing on campus, he ran for Class of 2027 senator and won. He then went on to win an additional two internal elections and became an Allocations Board member and assistant treasurer. Brendan didn’t treat these as titles to hold, but as responsibilities to carry.
“Frenchy is a very dedicated person,” Camila Saporta, a junior, The Ivy co-president and longtime friend of Brendan, said. “Ever since I met him, he has taken his role [on the] Senate as one of great importance, always making sure that every voice is heard, every decision is thoughtful and that he represents the students with integrity, consistency and genuine care.”
He has worked as the assistant treasurer, associate treasurer and now the head treasurer. In addition to his duties as a class senator and member of the Administration and Policy committee, he balances and communicates with over 350 clubs, along with lengthy weekly meetings and high-pressure budgeting cycles as an ALBO member. He did all of this while keeping up with a demanding pre-med courseload. More than executing his duties and exceeding those expectations, he has consistently stepped beyond the boundaries of his role, both covering for the treasurer and stepping into the TCU historian role midway through his sophomore year when needed. Half of his three years on the Senate have been spent on the executive board, so he truly understands how words turn into action.
Brendan has established himself as someone who leads by example. As Elle Chassin, assistant treasurer and Class of 2029 senator, puts it, “I am always blown away by Brendan’s ability to think holistically about how to help clubs, his diplomatic and professional way of interacting with senators and the community alike and his innovative way of finding solutions to problems.”
Michael Onysko, former Class of 2027 senator and associate treasurer, echoed this sentiment, saying, “He’s one of the most inspiring people that I know.” That combination of big-picture thinking and genuine reliability is so rare. It’s also exactly what the role of TCU president demands.
Brendan’s commitment extends beyond Senate meetings. He invests in the Tufts community in more than just one way.
“Over the past three years, we’ve walked dogs together through Tufts Animal Aid and volunteered at community events in Somerville,” Mia Shao, a senior and friend of Brendan, said.
He’s also an active member of a club soccer team, Tufts Black Student Union and Tufts African American Foundations and Roots Organization and volunteers weekly at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. These commitments reflect a pattern: Brendan shows up for his community, whether or not anyone is watching. And that consistency, more than anything, is what makes him the kind of leader who will follow through.
We urge you to consider voting for Brendan French for TCU Senate president. Invest in our future.
Caroline Spahr served as the TCU historian, services chair and assistant treasurer. Iman Boulouah served as the SWANA community senator and diversity officer. Alexander Vang serves as the TCU vice president.
Contributors were Elle Chassin, assistant treasurer; Michael Onysko, former associate treasurer; Mia Shao, member of Animal Aid; Camila Saporta, co-president of The Ivy.
