Editor’s note: The following article mentions the loss, grieving, and death of a UCSC student.
Brilliant, bubbly, adventurous, artistic — all words used to describe Zainab Mansoor. Those who knew her recall a kind face, supportive presence, and avid cookie baker. Beloved friend, daughter, sister, and student Zainab was tragically killed in February. Family and friends gathered in her honor at a celebration of life on April 12.
Zainab was a business management economics student at UC Santa Cruz with a love for writing, a passion she embraced as a tutor on campus. Her involvement in the on-campus communities ranged from the ABC-themed housing community, Stevenson College, College Nine, to John R. Lewis. Beyond her studies, Zainab was a dedicated activist and committed herself to social justice through classes at UCSC.
Ready at the open doors, staff members welcomed a crowd of students, friends, faculty, and family members into the Namaste Lounge. Staff guided visitors to tables where they could write notes to Zainab or fill sachets with dried roses, lavender, and chamomile. An altar stood against the back wall, covered in fairy lights, flowers, and gifts brought by visitors.
An hour after the doors opened, the formal reception began and Sarah Woodside Bury invited attendees to stand and share memories of Zainab. Mansoor Naseem, Zainab’s father, was the first to speak at the podium.
“I see my daughter in each of you,” Naseem said. “I really wanted to come and see you guys because I wanted to experience her life that she really enjoyed. She loved this place […] she loved you guys.”
Originally from New York and then moving to San Ramon, California, Naseem mentioned Zainab loved Santa Cruz for how it differed from the “cookie-cutter” cities she grew up in.
Time and time again, Zainab was described as intelligent, kind, and funny by former teachers, family, and friends.
“She always found a way to make people smile, whether it was a small comment or talking about a movie that she saw,” said Gerardo Cordon, a friend of Zainab’s. “She always found a way to lift people’s spirits.”
At the end of the reception, Stevenson Provost Matt O’Hara presented Zainab’s family with a posthumous Bachelor of Arts degree in business management and economics.
As the ceremony came to a close, loved ones donned smiles with remembrance while they spent the remainder of the evening honoring Zainab’s memory.
Editor’s Note: Gerardo Cordon is an editor at City on a Hill Press. He had no involvement in the production of this piece.
