Student Remembered by Peers

The Daily Collegian - 1/28/08

As the new semester starts, friends and family of Jennifer Morganson mourn her loss and prepare to adjust to campus life without her.

Jennifer, a University of Massachusetts senior majoring in Women's Studies, passed away suddenly on Jan. 16 after suffering a brain aneurysm in her Puffton apartment.

She was just 22 years old.

Remembered as beautiful, friendly and giving, Ryan Benedict, a good friend of hers, said Jennifer was "such a great person… she definitely was a bright spot. Every time we got together… she would light up the room when she came in… you met her in five minutes and thought you were best friends."

Gregory Kleciak, another close friend, described Jennifer as "kind of like Mother Theresa meets Heidi Klum; she's beautiful and loved to help people."

Aside from being a ray of light to her friends, Benedict remembers Jennifer as always ready for a challenge, never letting things come easily to her.

As a challenge to herself and a way to help those in need, Jennifer went with Medical Ministry International to the Dominican Republic to help provide support to impoverished women and children.

"Her main goal was to give back to people… someday she was going to change the world," Kara Polesky said.

Polesky, who was one of Jennifer's roommates, described her as hardworking, a girl who brought life and enthusiasm to everything she did.

While Jennifer loved to be with her friends, she didn't earn the nickname "Loose Goose" for nothing: she loved working too.

"She was an energetic, fun, enthusiastic person to work with… she was probably one of the best people that worked here," said Brittany LeBlanc, a weekend supervisor at The Loose Goose Café in Amherst.

Jennifer transferred from Ithaca College to UMass after her freshman year and, to her friends, became a part of the school.

"She loved UMass… It's like she was always here," Polesky said. "She studied so hard… thinking of going back to school without her is devastating."

What started out as a headache after leaving the gym turned into a brain aneurysm. Jennifer was airlifted out of Amherst to UMass Medical, where she passed away, Polesky said.

It was only after Jennifer passed that she was able to give her final gift away - her organs.

To date, five people have received her organs, and several more will be transplanted, Polesky said. "She's continuing to give after leaving us."

And while because of organ donations she will continue to live through the lives of others, her friends still miss her dearly.

"I'll miss so many things," Polesky said. "[Mostly] seeing the happiness she brought to everyone's life."

"She's probably the friendliest person I've ever met… [she] will be missed," Kleciak said.

"Everyone has their own story and there's not one story to describe Jen… She lived life to the fullest [and]… touched so many people's lives… She was such an amazing person," LeBlanc said.

To help Jennifer's memory live on, Benedict said he and the rest of her friends plan on getting together each year to volunteer their time at a charity.

"We could donate all the money in the world, but Jen would want us to help people," he said.