A fund has been set up in commemoration of Trey Johnson, a graduate student in the Culverhouse School of Business at the University of Alabama who died on Sept. 11 from gunshot wounds outside of Sterling Crimson apartments.

“For the memorial fund, we all (current students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends) want Trey to always be remembered as well as help out his family with these unexpected expenses,” said Heather Davis, Johnson’s academic adviser, boss and friend. “We have three main goals with the fund. First, we will be purchasing a brick in his honor on the Crimson Promenade. Secondly, we want to help his family with expenses. And finally, we want to create a Trey Johnson scholarship fund for Operations Management students.”

Davis said her ideal goal would be to raise $15,000 to $20,000, and that the fund accepts cash, checks or online credit and debit card donations.

“We will also be creating a Trey Johnson Adversity Award to be included in our yearly Honor’s Day ceremony,” Davis said. “Of course, the recipient will definitely have some big shoes to fill.”

Davis said Johnson was an all-around amazing person with a heart of gold.

“Trey was an excellent worker and very friendly face to greet guests and students in the department,” she said. “As a student, Trey was extremely intelligent and fought through so much adversity to be as successful as he was. He would always help students when they couldn’t understand something.”

Consequently, Johnson became a mentor for many current students and even alumni in the OM department. Over the years, Johnson became more than just an employee or student to Davis—he became one of her closest friends as well.

“He knew he could confide in me as well as I could confide in him,” Davis said. “All of these areas show what a well-rounded individual Trey was. He could always put a smile on your face. I know he is watching over all of us now, and we will see him again someday.”

Johnson’s friends and classmates in Operations Management originally came up with the idea to start the fund because he was such an integral part of the OM department. They wanted to help his family with the funeral expenses and remember Trey for how great of a person he was.

“Trey J. was one of the most sarcastic and hilarious people I knew,” said Shauna Myers. “You couldn’t help but laugh and have a good time when you were around him. He had a great heart and would go out of his way to help anyone. Heaven definitely gained an angel that this temporary world lost”