Family of Trinity University student who passed away pushes for honorary degree
Late student's family fights Trinity Uni for Honorary Degree
A family fights to get an Honorary Degree for late Trinity University basketball star, but the school says that they will not grant this wish.
WASHINGTON - A D.C. family is fighting for their loved one to receive an honorary degree from Trinity Washington University after an unexpected passing.
What we know:
Family says 21-year-old Jewel Joyner passed away in February after complications caused by a stroke she suffered while playing basketball for her school. Joyner would have graduated this Saturday.
Joyner was majoring in biology.
Trinity Washington University’s president, Patricia McGuire, tells FOX 5 that "Trinity does not award posthumous degrees."
McGuire herself has received nine honorary degrees, including from Georgetown and Howard Universities, and the school does award honorary degrees.
"I did talk to the director and the provost about it and they were firm on their decision that they were not going to offer a degree for her even though she completed everything she was supposed to complete," said Trina Joyner, Jewel Joyner’s mother.
"For us, we would like a commemorative degree. If that wasn’t possible, they said that wasn’t possible also, so that’s why we really reached out to you all because it was not only important to Jewel but it was important to her family as well," said Trina Joyner in an interview with FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis.
Jewel Joyner’s family showed FOX 5 her graduation gown, still hanging in her room inside her family northwest DC home.
Jewel Joyner sister Diamond says her sister applied to graduate months ago and has reportedly completed the required coursework needed to graduate.
What they're saying:
Her family says she also played several sports on the collegiate level, including volleyball, lacrosse and basketball.
Jewel’s mother, Trina, says the latter is what she was playing at Trinity when she suffered a stroke and died from complications caused by the stroke. Trinity’s president says the school will recognize Jewel in, "our prayers and remarks at commencement," said Trinity Washington University President Patricia McGuire in an email to FOX 5.
That’s not enough for Jewel’s family, who says she would have been the first in the family to receive a college degree.
"She was going to be a veterinarian when she graduated," said Jewel’s sister Diamond Joyner.
"I do believe that the school should honor her and give her her degree as this was her last semester and we’re all graduating and it would be nice to have her at least honored in that way," said Olamide Abiodun, Jewel’s classmate at Trinity.
Trinity’s president acknowledged Jewel was an accomplished young woman but stopped short of offering her family her degree, solely saying their hearts go out to her family, friends and classmates.