Sudi Nsengiyumva, 22-year-old California Baptist University alumnus, died Nov. 18 from injuries sustained by being struck by a car while crossing a street around 9:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in Costa Mesa.
CBU hosted a memorial, remembering and celebrating Nsengiyumva’s life, Nov. 20 in Innovators Auditorium. In attendance were members of his host family, members of the CBU community that he worked with through Information & Technology Services, friends, faculty members and students who wished to give their condolences.
Nsengiyumva began attending CBU in 2011 and graduated May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering. He was an international student from Rwanda and a Rwanda Presidential Scholar.
Friends, family members and faculty gave speeches at the memorial and a short message from the President of the Rwandan Community in Northern California was read. Several Rwandan women led the attendees with a collection of hymns and John Montgomery, dean of Spiritual Life, gave a short sermon.
Part of Nsengiyumva’s passion for his trade began when he got a job working with ITS at CBU.
Maksym Kozak, senior business management major, recalled the good times he shared with Nsengiyumva while they worked together in the ITS department.
“He was a part of our crew and he was the life of the party,” Kozak said. “His smile always made my day. He knew how to cheer someone up even if he wasn’t having a good day.”
After graduation, Nsengiyumva began to work for the solar company Sunrun in Irvine and was staying with his American host family in Orange County at the time of his death.
He is survived by his father, his stepmother and two younger brothers who live in Rwanda. A GoFundMe titled “Sudi’s Medical Fund” has been set up to raise funds for the family to cover medical and transportation costs.
