CHC Remembers Malcolm Sesay
By Joe Shuron
On April 29, Chestnut Hill College President William Latimer informed the college community that recent Dorothea E. Fenton ’28 Memorial Medal winner Malcom Sesay had died on April 25.
Sesay was scheduled to graduate in May. At CHC’s May 11 Commencement, the college will confer his Bachelor of Arts in Biology and give his cap and gown to his family.
Sesay was awarded the Dorothea E. Fenton ’28 Memorial Medal at the Honors Convocation on April 22. The award is given to a graduating student “in recognition of [their] eager pursuit of all that pertains to the higher life of the spirit and gracious courtesy in the contacts of life” and the medal bears the inscription, “The fruit of the Spirit is charity.” Dorothea Fenton was a member of the first graduating class from what was then named Mount Saint Joseph College. Fenton died a week before graduation in 1928, and her graduating class created the award in her honor.
A Celebration of Life for Sesay will take place May 4 at Living Winters Christian Center on 5949 Spruce St.
Below are comments from professors who knew Sesay:
I am so saddened by his passing. Malcolm had this beautiful, calm, radiant, gracious quality about him. Malcom was the type of student who would send a “Thank you” note at the end of the weekend saying “God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend”. He was an extremely gentle and kind soul.
— Rebecca Eikey, associate professor of chemistry
I had the great privilege of teaching Malcolm some years ago and since then he has remained in my life a source of laughter, joy, knowledge and inspiration. He also wanted to help start a scholarship fund for students who needed financial assistance to pay for books. My first semester teaching Malcolm personally offered to help any of his classmates pay for the textbook if they could not afford it.
— Kim Lauinger, adjunct professor of criminal justice
Whenever I saw Malcolm in the hallways on campus, he was kind and warm. I admire him a great deal for his ability to stay positive even when facing enormous difficulties — most notably, the illness at the end of his life.
— Billy Lauinger, associate professor of philosophy
Below are excerpts from the announcement of Sesay as the Dorothea E. Fenton ’28 Memorial Medal winner at the Honors Convocation on April 22:
A classmate shared that you are a dedicated and hard-working student, and that you make it a point to provide advice that helps everyone in the class. You encourage other students to keep going and not give up.
Your life experiences have served as the basis for your faith and perseverance. You grew up under the influence of the Ubuntu principle, which means: if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, then go together. You embody the idea of going together by the way you serve those in your community through volunteer work, mentorship, and many other acts of service.
You have recently created a non-profit in honor of your grandmother which has allowed you to help feed neighbors in your community.
As you stated, “With the academic knowledge, experiences, networking opportunities, and support I’ve received at this institution, I plan to give back to the world.”
