Amelia Kunko (amkunko@ursinus.edu)
Faculty, staff, students, and loved ones mourn the loss of Adam Walton ’25. A psychology major, Gateway scholar, and beloved member of our school, Walton will be remembered in and all around the Ursinus community.
Adam is remembered by professors as a bright and caring presence in class. Dr. Talia Argondezzi, Director of the Writing and Speaking Program, remembers Adam fondly. “He was a wonderful person,” she said. “Adam was very kind, thoughtful, and bright.” Argondezzi recalls Adam’s time as a committed student and encouraging classmate in her CIE 200 class. “He was mild-mannered and pleasant, an attentive listener who was very supportive of his classmates,” she explained. “Adam was interesting—by which I mean, he thought carefully and brought insightful points to class discussion and in his writing.”
In addition to his willingness to ask difficult questions, Adam stood out for his drive to help others. Adam was on the pre-med track, with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist. He earned excellent grades and hoped to join a research lab during his time at Ursinus. Dr. Mora Reinka, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Walton’s academic advisor, recalls his application essay. “He wrote about the wonder of the stars in the sky, and how that wonder could be brought to the beings on Earth,” she said. Adam tied this idea into his evident care for others as “he wrote about trying to help those around us in whatever ways we could—treating them with the same warmth and curiosity one might the universe beyond our atmosphere. And that’s pretty much who he was: a bright and caring young man with an insatiable curiosity for the world around him.”
The Ursinus community continues to remember Adam as a beloved asset to our school, kind classmate, and brilliant student. “As his advisor, I grieve not only for Adam’s family and friends, but for the people he would have helped, and for the impact he would have made on our little space rock, tucked among the stars he liked to look up at every night,” concluded Reinka.
Visitations took place Thursday, September 29 and Friday, September 30 at the Huff and Lakjer Funeral Home in Lansdale, PA. A candlelight vigil took place at Bustard Park in Harleysville, PA following Friday’s visitation hours. If you would like to view Adam’s obituary, please visit https://www.huffandlakjer.com/. The Walton family requests donations to the National Alliance on Mental Illness in lieu of flowers. If you would like to make a donation, please visit the suicide prevention for college students page at https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/September-2019/Suicide-Prevention-for-College-Students.
If you are struggling or know another who is, please do not hesitate to reach out for help using the resources below. Faculty, staff, peers, and campus resources are here to support you. You matter. You are loved.
· Wellness Center Phone Number: (610) 409-3100
· Wellness Center Email: wellness@ursinus.edu
· Wellness Center Crisis Hour: M – F from 2p.m. to 3p.m.
· Campus Safety: (610) 409-3333
· Religious and Spiritual Life: (610) 409-3273
· Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988