Seremmay Baleeka Mendez was called home on September 13, 2019. She was born in Brookdale Hospital to Serita and Gregory Mendez on June 18, 1997. Seremmay was the 5th eldest of her six siblings and she was very fond of them.
Seremmay attended PS 150 elementary school and Knowledge And Power Preparatory Academy V middle school. For high school, she attended Frederick Douglass Academy VII. She then continued her education at Union College, the same college as her older sister.
Seremmay had a passion for justice. This love was kindled during a program she attended in high school called Sadie Nash. There, she learned about feminism and social justice. The knowledge she gained from this program is what propelled her major in Gender Sexuality and Women's Studies and minor in Philosophy. With her degree, Seremmay wanted to pursue a career as a social worker and give support to anyone who experienced discrimination.
At Union College, her eyes were opened. She got to see a different part of the world during her term abroad in Brazil, she met wonderful people who stuck by her side through thick and thin, she practiced activism through peaceful group-led protests and she met the love of her life, James King. Seremmay and James were inseparable and she planned to marry her fiance in June of 2020.
Seremmay will be missed by her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends. Her vibrant personality and caring nature will forever remain in our memories and our hearts.
Seremmay is survived by her parents: Serita and Gregory Mendez, her sibling: Chukuka Ndame, Gregory Mendez Jr. , Jahsin Mendez, Iseinie Mendez, Destiny Mendez, and Nanigie Mendez, her sister-in-law Shamika Nelson, and her fiance James King.