Active Minds at VCU hosts vigil for freshman who passed away from 13-story fall
Hands cupped candles while arms linked around family and friends at a vigil last night for VCU freshman Jordan Bowman, who passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Bowman had attended the university for just under a month before her death. According to police, Bowman fell from her 13th floor apartment window at the Towers on Franklin. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Richmond police are still investigating the incident. Bowman’s friends and family, however, have been remembering the laughter and energy she brought into their lives.
“I’m happy that she’s with my dad,” said Paige Bowman, Jordan’s older sister. “He passed away when I was two and half. Jordan didn’t have a chance to meet him — so she finally got to meet her dad.”
Bowman is the third person to pass away in her immediate family. She was the youngest of four siblings.
“She could light up a room. Honestly, I loved how she didn’t care about what other people think,” Paige Bowman said. “She wasn’t afraid to do anything. And this may sound like a cliche, but she did make me into a better person.”
Old friends, new classmates, family and community members gathered on the Student Commons Plaza for the vigil that was organized by Active Minds at VCU, a chapter of the largest mental health advocacy group in the nation.
VCU senior and president of Active Minds Andrea Nguyen said board members were contacted to hold an event and to help students cope with Bowman’s death.
“As a mental health awareness organization, we want to do a service to our students,“ Nguyen said. “We want to make sure that they are taken care of. It’s also a way to honor the family and honor one of our students.”
If you have any information regarding Jordan Bowman’s case, please contact Richmond Police at their non-emergency number, (804)-646-5100.
STAFF WRITER
Hiba Ahmad
Hiba is a senior studying broadcast journalism and religious studies. In addition to writing for the CT, she is the campus editor-at-large for the Huffington Post, a blogger for MuslimGirl.net and president of United Muslim Relief at VCU. This summer, Hiba interned with the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington, D.C. She previously interned with Voice for America and as a web content intern for VCU’s Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture.
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Julie Tripp
Julie is a senior studying photography with a minor in media studies. This is her third year working with the CT, and she spent last summer interning for Richmond Magazine. Last semester, Julie spent a semester abroad studying photography at The University of the West of England. After Julie graduates she plans on pursuing a career as a photojournalist for print and online publications.
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