Nick Kindler is used to hard work. As a member of the West Virginia University Football Team, he learned to multitask by balancing the demands of the sport with those of the classroom.

His hard work paid off. The Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, native earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology in 2012 (3.62 GPA). He capped off that achievement by completing a master’s degree in legal studies (December 2013) and participating in the May commencement ceremony.

In recognition of his outstanding academic accomplishments, the WVU Alumni Association presented him with the Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund Louis Meisel Award, an award given to a graduating member of the football team with the highest GPA. The award was presented during the Alumni Association’s annual luncheon and Order of Vandalia ceremony in June.

During his time at WVU, Kindler received numerous academic honors, including being named to the Dean’s List, Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. As a student at Trinity High School, he played on the football team where he was named to the Harrisburg Patriot News Platinum 33 Team and a two-time AP Class AA first-team all-state.

Kindler’s parents, Stephen and Kathleen, joined him for the award presentation where he was recognized by Director of Athletics Oliver Luck and Gen. Earl Anderson, USMC Ret., chairman of the Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund Trust Committee.

The 1928 West Virginia University football team was a close-knit unit who believed in the value of an education. One of the players, Louis Meisel, was so passionate about academic success that he spearheaded an effort to create an award to recognize and reward the graduating football letterman with the highest grade point average. As a result, the 1928 Football Team Award (Louis Meisel Award) was born.

For more information, visit http://alumni.wvu.edu.

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CONTACT: Tara Curtis, WVU Alumni Association
304-293-0972, tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu

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