Cal Poly student who died on Christmas was outgoing, ‘really driven,’ friends and family say
Family and friends remembered the Cal Poly student who died on Christmas Day in San Luis Obispo as outgoing, adventurous, intelligent and driven.
John Jake Medina Worden, 20, who went by “Jake,” was a senior studying computer science at the San Luis Obispo university.
He was set to graduate from Cal Poly in the spring of 2021. The university said it will award Worden a posthumous degree.
“He was probably the most intelligent people I’ve ever known, hands down,” said his father, Leon Worden. “He was thoughtful, considerate, his own person.”
Jake Worden’s cause of death is still under investigation by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office-Coroner.
Worden grew up in Santa Clarita. When he was about 7, he moved to be with his mom, Wilma Medina Worden, in the Philippines until he graduated from high school there at 16 years old.
Jake Worden then moved back to California to attend Cal Poly.
He was known as an “exceptional student” who earned top marks in his classes at Cal Poly, according to his friends, family and the university.
He was also a member of Sigma Phi Delta’s Beta Nu Chapter at Cal Poly, a fraternity for engineering students.
Ryan Powell said he first met Worden through the fraternity, and they quickly became best friends.
Powell described his friend as “incredibly outgoing and adventurous.”
“He would always be making these crazy plans, taking every opportunity to get out there,” Powell said. “He influenced us to live life to the fullest.”
Powell remembered a time when Worden found out about a concert in Los Angeles he wanted to attend. None of his friends knew who the band was, but somehow Worden convinced Powell and a group of other students to drive down to the city for the weekend, Powell said.
“It just ended up being this crazy fun weekend. We were all so blown away,” Powell said. “And I just remember thinking, ‘None of this would have happened without Jake.’ ”
Powell added that Worden knew how to “play hard and work harder,” and he was inspired by Worden’s ability to balance “a crazy life with hard classes” at Cal Poly.
According to his father, Worden fell in love with Europe after studying abroad there in fall 2018. Jake Worden was set to study at an engineering school in Berlin, Germany, under a graduate professor in the summer of 2021, Leon Worden said.
“He was just really driven, really wanted to find his own path in life,” Leon Worden said.
Cal Poly announced news of Jake Worden’s death in a statement sent to the entire university community on Tuesday.
“Sharing news like this ... is never easy,” the statement read. “It is especially hard when we are not together as a community to be there for each other.”
Worden is survived by his father, Leon Worden of Santa Clarita; his mother, Wilma Medina Worden of the Philippines; older brother Juan Alfonso Medina of the Philippines and step-mother Susan Shapiro of Santa Clarita, as well as many more relatives in the Philippines.
Cal Poly resources available for those struggling with grief
Cal Poly’s Office of the Dean of Students serves as the campus liaison for families, friends and the Cal Poly community when a student passes away. The office offers grief support, guidance and resources for families, assistance with the development of memorial funds or donations, and coordinates university memorial services.
As of Thursday, neither Jake Worden’s family nor Cal Poly had any services planned in his memory.
Some of Worden’s friends said they are holding a Zoom memorial service on Jan. 10, 2021.
Family friends asked people who want to pay tribute to Jake Worden to make donations to the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. To donate, visit the historical society’s Facebook page, or its website at scvhs.org.
Cal Poly is offers counseling and support services for students.
“Counseling services are available virtually for Cal Poly students 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 805-756-2511,” the university said on its In Memoriam website. “For additional support, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 805-756-0327 or email deanofstudents@calpoly.edu.”
According to Cal Poly, the Employee Assistance Program provides confidential counseling services to all Cal Poly employees and their families. To speak with a counselor, call the 24-hour support hotline at 800-367-7474.
“Please know that we care about each of you,” Cal Poly said.
This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 11:59 AM.
