A Message from the Vice Provost for University Life

Dr. Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, Vice Provost for University Life

on behalf of President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett
                                                 

Dear students,

I write to share the sad news of the passing of one of your classmates. Johnathan Christian Smith, a member of the Class of 2019 who had been on medical leave from the university following a cancer diagnosis, died July 14th while in the hospital undergoing treatment. Johnathan was 21 and from Trinidad and Tobago.

Johnathan was a Mechanical Engineering major as well as a thoughtful and passionate visual artist. At Penn, he was in the Trinidad and Tobago Art Society and a beloved member of the Caribbean student community. He had lived in Gregory College House.

“I am not your typical Trinidadian artist,” Johnathan declared in bold on his website. “I love making drama in painting. I'm continuously experimenting to find that perfect dreamscape. My paintings are my way of leaving behind a legacy and making other people think along the way.” 

Johnathan was an only child and is survived by his parents, Hayden and Anna, who shared that he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2016 after experiencing eye pain while preparing for an art exhibition. His eclectic interests ranged from calypso to classical music, Star Trek to The Golden Girls. He loved to eat Trinidadian pelau and Thai food. His won awards for his paintings, which often sought to illustrate his experiences adapting to life in the United States.

“Johnathan always thought about the welfare of others before thinking about himself,” his parents wrote. “His personality attracted many friends whom he considered as his extended family … the siblings he never had.”

I know losses in our Penn community can be especially difficult during university breaks, when students are scattered around the world, unable to comfort one another. I urge you to reach out to your friends and check in with family as you process this painful news.

Now, and when you return to campus, please know that Penn resources are here for all Penn students, whether you seek out a trusted academic advisor, a clinician at CAPS, or visit International Student and Scholar Services.

 

RESOURCES

Our ongoing University resources include the following services: