Editor’s note: If you or someone you know may have suicidal thoughts, you can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
Sophia Jones ’27 died by suicide on the night of Nov. 29, according to an autopsy report released by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Jones, a member of Yeh College, was originally from Chicago. At Princeton, she planned to major in molecular biology with a certificate in global health and health policy, was a member of the Princeton University Ballet (PUB), and tutored middle school students with the University’s Science Outreach program.
Following the release of the autopsy report, Jones’ parents, Juliet Sorensen ’95 and Benjamin Jones ’95, said in a statement to PAW sent via email: “Sophia loved everyone around her. She lifted people up and could carry her friends, her family — maybe the whole world — on her shoulders. But no matter how strong you are, know that depression can descend without rhyme or reason. We must never let it be a private battle. Sophia would say – ‘let me help you!’ As we remember Sophia, and how she looked out for us, remember we must all seek the help that we need.”
In a previous interview with PAW, Sorensen and Jones credited their “glorious” and “bright” daughter for energetically pursuing her passions, which included ballet, animals, and baking.
“Our entire community is impacted by this tragedy and our hearts are heavy. We share our deepest condolences with Sophia’s family and friends,” W. Rochelle Calhoun, vice president for campus life, wrote in a Nov. 30 email notifying the campus community of the death.
Jones was one of three Princeton students who died in 2023.
In January 2023, Maura Coursey, a first-year master’s in public affairs student at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), was found dead in her off-campus residence; the Middlesex County Medical Examiner determined her death was accidental and caused by “mixed drug toxicity.”
Jaqueline Gonzalez ’25 died in February 2023 after complications from a prolonged illness.
In October 2022, Misrach Ewunetie ’24 was found dead on campus; her death was later ruled a suicide. Justin Lim ’25 and Jazz Chang ’23 both died in May 2022, also due to mental health struggles.