Princeton Sophomore On Leave Dies After Prolonged Illness

Princeton University student Jaqueline Gonzalez ’25 died Feb. 1 from liver and kidney failure following a prolonged illness, according to a message from Forbes College Dean Patrick Caddeau shared with PAW by a University spokesman Feb. 7. 

Gonzalez, a graduate of Harvard High School in Harvard, Ill., was on a health-related leave of absence from the University. 

“Jaki was a valued member of the Forbes community, a talented and dedicated student, and a highly engaged member of multiple groups on campus, including the Freshman Scholars Institute and Scholars Institute Fellows Program through the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity,” Caddeau wrote. “Her passing is a tragedy for us all.” 

Dean Khristina Gonzalez, director of the Emma Bloomberg Center, wrote in a separate message that Jaki Gonzalez helped welcome students to Princeton as a virtual college adviser in the Freshman Scholars Institute’s online program. “[A]s a community, we will, in Jaki’s spirit, look after and hold one another up,” she said. 

Forbes College plans to hold a gathering on Feb. 8 to remember Jaki and offer support to all who are grieving. The University also is providing 24/7 counseling from Counseling & Psychological Services, support from chaplains in the Office of Religious Life, and additional services from the Forbes staff. 

News of Gonzalez’s passing was announced less than two weeks after Maura Coursey, a first-year graduate student pursuing her master’s in public affairs, was found dead in her off-campus residence. In the past 10 months, Princeton has grieved the losses of five students as well as a University staff member who died by suicide on campus in September.