Houston Honored Princess Eke
To honor the memory and legacy of Princess Chinwendu Eke at the University of Houston, Texas, a well-attended event was organized where guest remembered the life of the young woman who fell to sickle cell disease.
Dear Mrs. Eke,
I hope things are going well with you.
I am Dr. Chuck Layne, Chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance. The department is having an inaugural Student Honors and Appreciation Dinner Thursday, May 3 in the Rockwell Pavilion of the M. D. Anderson Library on the campus of the University of Houston. It will be an evening spent honoring our students who have won awards and scholarships in a special way with faculty and invited guests attending.
It would mean so much to us if you and Mr. Eke would consider being our guests, and letting us honor you as our ‘Department of Health and Human Performance Patron of Year’ for your establishment of the student scholarship in Princess’s name.
We hope you will consider being our guests so we can acknowledgement our appreciation of your generosity.
I would love to hear from you to answer any questions you may have regarding your honor and invitation.
Sincerely,
Chuck Layne
November 5th, 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
It is with sorrow that I share my thoughts about Princess. I thank and admire each and every one of you who keep Princess in your prayers and daily memories. On this difficult anniversary, I want you to know that her friends and colleagues in the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston continue to miss her and think fondly of all that she brought into our lives.
I don’t have to tell you that when Princess walked into a room, the lights got a little brighter because of her infectious smile. She always brought an energy and enthusiasm to whatever task she was engaged it, be it teaching our students in her role as a graduate Teaching Fellow, socializing, or studying for her next major exam. Despite her challenges, she continued to radiate that positive aura that many of you know so well. Many of Princess’s students remarked to me how caring and compassionate she was when it came to listening to their own personal struggles both within the classroom and in their personal lives. She was always there for them when they needed that little something extra to help get them through a rough day. To go with her compassionate side, she was also firm in her expectations for her students. She truly was there to see that her students learned as much as possible in her classes. Princess stood out among an outstanding group of teaching fellows and graduate students.
Princess’s exceptionalism did not go unnoticed by her professors. It was my privilege to shake her hand as she accepted her certificate indicating she had just been named our department’s Outstanding Graduate Student in Sports and Fitness Administration. Given her early concerns about her ability to complete a graduate degree, presenting her this award was a special moment to me. It was irrefutable proof that she had worked hard to accomplish a goal she had set out to achieve and has served as an inspiration to other students unsure how to take that first step towards their future. Surely there was no better role model than Princess.
Princess’s love for the University of Houston and our department is well known. As educators, we feel no greater pride then when one of our own becomes an alumnus committed to making our department the best it can be by helping others to successfully travel the same road they did. I had no doubt that Princess was committed to our department in a way few others every have been. As she looks down upon us, she knows how much we appreciate everything she has done for our department from educating our students, representing us in a most positive manner in her interactions with family, friends and the community, but more importantly, for sharing her enduring spirit to serve as a reminder that one can live out their dreams with hard work and dedication.
On behalf of all of us in the Department of Health and Human Performance, thank you so very much for sharing your daughter with us.
Sincerely,
Charles Layne
Professor and Chair
Departments of Health and Human Performance
