Working together to honour the memory and accomplishments of Baruch Sokaribo
University of Regina Convocation is always a time for celebration, and the Fall 2024 “50th anniversary edition” was no exception. Students, their family and friends, and members of the University community gathered together on October 17, 2024, to mark a significant milestone – the awarding of degrees, diplomas, and certificates to 988 graduates who had recently completed their programs of study.
One of those 988 graduates was notably absent from the ceremony, however. Baruch Sokaribo, who was scheduled to attend Convocation to receive his Master of Science degree in Mathematics and Statistics, tragically lost his life in a traffic accident on the way to the ceremony. For Baruch’s family – including his parents in Nigeria and two siblings in Canada – his passing was the source of tremendous grief, particularly as he was just starting a new chapter in his life.
Baruch’s passing was also very difficult for Dr. Donald Stanley of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Stanley, who supervised Baruch as he completed his Master of Science thesis, got to know him well on a personal level as they worked together over the past couple of years.
“Baruch was a very kind and gentle person,” says Stanley. “Because of this, I invited him to join my gardening group and he fit in perfectly. Everyone in the group was shocked by the news of his passing.”
And although he had never met Baruch, Dr. Stephen King of the President’s Office was both saddened and inspired by Baruch’s story.
“Rabbi Jeremy Parnes, who conducted Baruch’s memorial service, asked if the President’s Office could have Baruch’s degree framed so it could be presented to his brother and sister at the service,” recalls King. “When I went to the Registrar’s Office to pick up Baruch’s degree so we could get it framed, it was especially sad to see it there waiting for him, knowing that he would never receive something that he had worked so hard to achieve. At that moment, I felt that there had to be something else the University could do to honour Baruch’s memory – but I didn’t know exactly what.”
A month later, after conversations with Stanley and Baruch’s sister Akosiererem, King formulated a plan with the Sokaribo family’s permission: he and Stanley would try to raise $25,000, which would be enough to create an endowed scholarship. If they could reach that goal, a scholarship of approximately $1,000 could be awarded to a deserving Mathematics and Statistics graduate student each year in perpetuity, and in memory of Baruch.
Stanley asked colleagues in his home department of Mathematics and Statistics if they would be interested in contributing to a scholarship fund in Baruch’s memory. At the same time, King approached other colleagues from across the University with whom he had worked at different times over the years. And that’s when something remarkable happened.
“Within two days, friends and colleagues had committed more than $30,000 to Baruch’s scholarship fund,” King explains. “That might be some sort of record here, which speaks to how the University community came together to honour one of its own, recognize his accomplishments, and at the same time support future students.”
As a result of this collective effort, the Baruch Sokaribo Memorial Graduate Scholarship will be awarded in Fall 2025 – and each year thereafter – to a Mathematics and Statistics Master’s student entering the second year of their thesis program. The successful recipient will be selected by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics based on academic achievement and potential.
“On behalf of Baruch’s family, I want to thank everyone who has made this scholarship possible,” King adds. “You have helped ensure that Baruch’s memory will live on at the University of Regina, and helped bring some small element of closure to his family. And you have also shown that caring people can make something positive happen in the midst of the most tragic circumstances – something which speaks volumes about the University of Regina and its commitment to its students.”
Banner photo credit: Melanie from Pixabay.