HOUSTON – A local graduate student is being honored by Columbia University months after his death.
The dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences announced a new award named after Devon Wade, who was gunned down back in November in Atascocita.
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This comes after the school awarded a posthumous Ph.D. in sociology to Wade.
READ: Remembering Devon Wade: His life and legacy
He went to Smiley High School in northeast Houston and later went on to become a doctoral student of sociology at Columbia University.
Police said his boyfriend, Mario Williams, shot and killed him after an argument.
Wade's twin brother and his mother accepted the degree and gave an emotional speech.
"To my brother, I want to let you know, I'm proud of you. Yes, we made it. We did it," Stevon Wade said.
"I want to thank you, Devon, for laying this legacy of breaking through barriers because we can all do whatever we choose to do if we put your mind to it," his mother said.
The new award will be given to a graduating doctoral student each year beginning in 2019.