Cal Poly mourns student’s death, fifth in a year

January 28, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo today announced the death of third-year student Christina DeChalk, who passed away on Jan. 26.

DeChalk was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She was majoring in computer science.  The university is in touch with DeChalk’s family and is extending its full support to them and her friends.

This latest tragedy marks the fifth death of a student in less than a year.

Nico Goon, a first-year student majoring in civil engineering from Nevada, passed away on Dec. 29, 2024, after an accident while on vacation.

James Soulie Washburn passed away during the 2024/2025 school year. At just 23, he fluently spoke three languages, played seven instruments, and was both an artist and a skilled craftsman, creating wooden furniture and handmade couture clothing

Kenneth Taylor, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering from Richland, Washington, died April 6 after an accident during a trip to Big Sur.

Sofia Padoan, the president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, passed away on Feb. 24, 2024. She had dinner with her family on a Friday night. Upon return to her residence, she collapsed. She was transported to an emergency room, where she died of a brain aneurysm.