CAMBRIDGE, MA–Around 40 Harvard students and administrators gathered in Kirkland House’s Senior Common Room Thursday night to honor Ahmed S. Gondal who died suddenly at home earlier this week in Pakistan, reported The Harvard Crimson.
Gondal, whom close friends and family members called “Shujju,” graduated from Harvard in May with a concentration in Government and a secondary in Economics. During his time at the College, he served on the Honor Council for three years and was a member of both the Cricket Club — leading the group as its captain in 2016 — and the Debate Team, according to Crimson.
“On one side of the room Thursday stood a table with pens and stationery. Administrators encouraged attendees to write remembrance notes, which they promised to send to Gondal’s family in Pakistan. Those in attendance spent most of the evening sharing stories about Gondal, often tearing up as they spoke,” Crimson reported.
Friends said Gondal had plans to pursue a career in public service in Pakistan. During his four years at Harvard, Gondal maintained a steady and serious interest in his childhood home. He rose through the ranks of the College’s Pakistani Students Association to become its president, according to Crimson.
He wrote his senior thesis on the cybersecurity of the Pakistani electoral system. And he served on the board of the Harvard Pakistan Forum.
