Catholic studies and political science major Brandon Miranda was announced as the 81st Tommie Award recipient on Feb. 13.

The annual award, which is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, is given to an undergraduate senior who represents St. Thomas Aquinas’ ideals through scholarship, leadership and campus involvement.

Miranda said one of the main perks of being the Tommie Award recipient has been catching up with old professors.

“They’re all just sending me these emails. It’s kind of nice,” Miranda said. “Kind of like all of these loose ends tying up.” Professors from my freshman year, first semester emailing me just saying, ‘I heard the news! I can’t believe it’s been four years, but congratulations.”’

Involved in Tommie Ambassadors, Undergraduate Student Government, Concert Choir and the Summit Singers, Miranda is no stranger to campus involvement.

Intercultural Programs Coordinator Sarah Churchill met Miranda when she worked with him as a summer orientation leader. Churchill said it was easy to spot Miranda’s leadership skills and involvement from the beginning.

“He was really engaging with the students that he was leading—really engaging with his other team members. I’m just so impressed with how much he has progressed since then,” Churchill said. “It seems like he has really grown in his experience here as a student, which I think is very important as the Tommie Award recipient. He definitely illustrates what it is to be a Tommie.”

Junior Emily Casey, Miranda’s best friend, said that his truthfulness, determination and faith-based motives are what set him apart.

“The realness that Brandon possesses and the fact that he’s not afraid to be who he is—just exemplifies, in my opinion, what the Tommie Award should be,” Casey said. “He’s ambitious; he knows what he wants to do, and he goes out and does it. He really strives to incorporate his faith into every decision that he does, which to me is just a beautiful thing.”

Miranda said he discovered the importance of staying true to yourself while attending a karaoke event freshman year. From that moment on, he said he strived to never go unnoticed.

“I got on that stage, and I thought to myself, ‘It’s all or nothing. I’m not going to be this person who hides behind a mask. I want people to see who I am.’ I gave it my all,” Miranda said. “Every single day at St. Thomas, I don’t try to hide who I am. I give my all to everything that I do.”

Miranda said he plans to go into the seminary after graduation, and hopes to one day work for the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Alison Bengtson can be reached at beng4632@stthomas.edu.