Fevean Siyoum didn’t know Lauren Jones, but she’s honoring her memory as if she had.

Siyoum is a co-director of the Black Women of Achievement at the University of Oregon, which held a vigil for Jones, a UO student-athlete who passed away last week after falling ill to meningococcemia, on Monday night in the EMU amphitheater.

Siyoum said that although she did not know Jones, she felt it important to show respect for those that did and honored Jones as a black woman on campus.

At the start of the ceremony, Pastor Fields from St. Mark Catholic Church led everyone in a prayer for Jones, her friends and her family. The circle then opened for anyone to speak about how Jones touched their life.

Alexis Lawrence, a UO student, spoke about briefly meeting Jones at a 7-Eleven four weeks ago. She didn’t know it would be the last time she saw her.

“Hearing all of these stories about how kind of a person she was really makes me sad that I did not get the opportunity to know her,” Lawrence said. “It’s crazy that I did not know Lauren; however, I still have tears in my eyes right now and heartbreak.”

People who knew Jones more spoke of her caring nature and her desire for everyone to feel happy.

Many of those that never met Jones spoke of their aspiration to live kindly as she did.

“We heard nice things about her and wanted to honor her,” Shaniece Curry, internal director of BWA, said. “It’s heartbreaking to see someone so young from such a small community chasing her dreams go so soon.”

After everyone had a chance to speak, they were told to raise their candles high for Jones. There were whispers of “To Lauren,” just before each candle was blown out.