Content Warning: The following article contains mention of death.
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Jaqueline “Jaki” Gonzalez ’25 died at the Children’s Hospital of Chicago on Feb. 1 due to complications related to liver and kidney failure following a prolonged illness. Gonzalez was on a leave of absence this semester to focus on her health. She was 19 years old.
According to a GoFundMe started by her family, Gonzalez was a resident of Harvard, Ill. and graduated as valedictorian from Harvard High School in 2021.
At Princeton, Gonzalez was a resident of Forbes College. In an email to Forbes residents earlier today, Dean of Forbes College Patrick Caddeau wrote, “Jaki was a valued member of the Forbes community, a talented and dedicated student, and a highly engaged member of multiple groups on campus.”
“Her passing is a tragedy for us all,” Caddeau continued.
Gonzalez was an active member in the Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP) and the Freshman Scholars Institute program (FSI), which is run through the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity. In an email earlier today to the FSI and SIFP community, Director of the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity Dean Khristina Gonzalez wrote, “Jaki was a central member of our community.”
“[Gonzalez] had a true commitment to supporting every other member in our community, whether it be by providing resources on our Discord server, helping fellow students in our SIFP precepts, or serving as a research assistant working to identify areas of growth or our programs. Her passing is a tragedy for us and for the world,” she wrote.
Gonzalez’s passing is the fifth death of a Princeton student in the past nine months.
A gathering to remember Gonzalez will be held on Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. in the Forbes College Living Room. All members of the Princeton community are invited.
A funeral for Gonzalez will be held on Feb. 8 in Harvard, Ill.
Gonzalez is survived by her parents Maria Dolores Martinez and Genaro Gonzalez Mercado, her older sister Daisy Gonzalez Martinez, and younger brother Giovani Gonzalez Mercado.
Julian Hartmann-Sigall is an assistant News editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please direct any corrections requests to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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