In memory of Wilmani Castillo

Gatepost Archives

By Sophia Oppedisano Editor-in-Chief The Framingham State community was notified about the tragic passing of student Wilmani Josiah Castillo in an email from President Nancy Niemi on Feb. 9. Castillo, a 22-year-old junior business management major, was killed in a car accident in the early hours of the morning on Feb. 9. Niemi wrote that Castillo was a first-generation student who resided on campus during his time at Framingham State. She said, “He was a valued member of our campus community, and his loss is deeply felt by all who knew him - his family, friends, classmates, faculty, and staff.” Castillo was known on campus as warm-hearted and humorous - always with a kind word and an offer of support for those who knew him. An outpouring of love and support was shared on social media for Castillo on Monday evening, with students expressing how much he made them laugh or the times he made their days just by saying hello. In a video reposted across social media by students, Castillo tells the camera, “If you tell yourself that you can achieve - you will achieve. You will attract people around you who want to achieve. If you tell yourself that you can’t - you will not. This life is what you make it.” His uplifting spirit is an enduring thread in the fabric of the Framingham State community. Castillo’s life will be celebrated on campus in the coming weeks. Vice President for Student Affairs Meg Nowak Borrego said the Dean of Students Office is planning to “work with his friends and family to plan a memorial opportunity for his family to hear from his FSU friends,” but nothing has been officially planned at this time. Nowak Borrego encourages friends of Castillo’s to reach out with ideas for honoring his memory on campus. Visiting hours for Castillo are at the Brady & Fallon Funeral Home in Jamaica Plain on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 5-8 p.m. Students can attend a moment of silence for Castillo at the men’s basketball game in the Logan Gymnasium at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. No student should shoulder their grief alone. The Counseling Center, Residence Life staff, and the Dean of Students Office are available for students struggling with the loss of Castillo, according to Niemi and Nowak Borrego. Niemi wrote in her email, “As a community, we mourn together and hold Wilmani’s loved ones in our thoughts during this impossibly difficult time. I ask that we take care of one another, extend compassion, and lean on the support systems available to us.”