Wednesday night, students and administrators gathered to honor Ella Keeler, the 20-year-old British exchange student from University College London who died Oct. 2 after a heart attack eight days earlier.
Associate University Chaplain Stephen Kocher gave the opening remarks at her memorial.
He quoted the eulogy that Chris Keeler, Ella’s father, gave at her funeral in the United Kingdom.
In the eulogy, her father specifically remembered Ella expressing her can-do attitude when he spoke to her a few weeks before her death. “Don’t think about it, Dad — Just do it,” she had advised him.
These same sentiments were echoed on CaringBridge.org, where the Keeler family set up a web site to post updates about Ella’s condition before she passed away. Hundreds of people have since posted their memories about Ella, and thousands more have visited the site, according to Kocher.
Stouffer College House Dean Alison LaLond-Wyant also highlighted Keeler’s zest for life.
“She used her intellect outside of the classroom … and combined her critical thinking and compassion in forming her opinion,” she said.
LaLond-Wyant noted Keeler’s “strong sense of justice,” adding that Ella’s mother thought Ella probably would have gone into public service as a career.
Friends who spoke at the memorial described Keeler as bright, fearless and engaged in the world around her.
Oofii Hardwick, an exchange student from the University of Sussex and Keeler’s best friend at Penn, remembered watching President Barack Obama’s speech on health care with Keeler.
“She was hanging on every word,” Hardwick said. “She really cared, … and she believed that she could change the world.”
On a more light-hearted note, she said it was no coincidence that Keeler’s memorial fell on a night during the SEPTA strike. Keeler was active in the UCL Labour Club, and this kind of activism would have made her proud.
Sebastian Sahla, a junior exchange student from UCL, knew Keeler at home in the United Kingdom.
“We can do her justice by living our own life in a compassionate way,” Sahla said, adding that Keeler was an organ donor, which has allowed her to help people even after her death.
Hardwick said the best way to honor Keeler’s legacy is to “never be complacent” and to “take advantage of every opportunity,” as Keeler always did.
Others who spoke during a time dedicated to “open reflection” said Keeler encouraged people “to live abundantly” and “to always go one step further.”
They remembered Keeler’s enthusiasm in attending Convocation and a Penn football game. She was equally passionate about getting involved in Stouffer Steering and the Penn Women’s Center.
In August, Ella’s ashes will be scattered in the ocean on a voyage between her hometown in York, U.K., and Penn, according to Chris Keeler.
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