Cal Poly student remembered as ‘incredible friend’ and ‘beautiful soul’
Cal Poly’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority hosted a vigil Tuesday night to honor the life of Christina DeChalk, a third-year student who died on Jan. 26.
The university announced the death last week. DeChalk was studying computer science.
“We are heartbroken to share the loss of our darling sister, Christina DeChalk. Christina had such an intelligent mind and was an extremely dedicated student studying computer science,” read an Instagram post shared by the sorority to memorialize DeChalk and publicize the event.
“Outside of school, she was an incredible friend to everyone, the best listener, and had such an amazing sense of humor,” the post continued. “She never failed to make everyone laugh and put a smile on the faces of all her loved ones. Christina will always be a beloved member of our chapter and we miss her so much.”
The vigil was held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Avila Beach. Sorority members gathered to watch the sunset and “honor Christina’s beautiful spirit.”
“We appreciate all of your kind words and support as we navigate this tragedy,” the post read. “All our love and gratitude is with Christina and her loved ones during this unimaginable time.”
The Tribune attended the event, but several attendees declined to speak with reporters about DeChalk.
Support for DeChalk’s family and friends flooded the comments under the post, where she was remembered as “truly an amazing and beautiful soul.”
The cause of DeChalk’s death has not yet been released.
DeChalk was the second member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority to die within the past year after its former president Sofia Padoan died from a brain aneurysm in February 2024.
Cal Poly has seen five student deaths in the last year, according to the university’s In Memoriam website.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 11:59 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to remove social media comments about DeChalk.
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