On Nov. 8, the University of New Haven hosted a Celebration of Life in honor of Priyanshu Agwal, who was in the process of earning his master’s degree in business analytics at the university. On Oct. 18, while riding his electric scooter on the corner of Whalley Avenue and Amity Road at 11:20 p.m. Agwal was hit by a motorist. He was brought to the hospital but never recovered and died on Oct. 26.
Before giving Agwal’s friends and loved ones a chance to speak, university officials shared memories of the former student. Agwal’s brother, Aman, is also a student at the school.
“The Agwal brothers were always to blame, whenever one did something, they both did it, whether that be good or bad, they were always together, and pursued their dreams at this university together,” said Selena O’Toole, the executive director of enrollment.” She thanked the Agwal family for “choosing University of New Haven as their host.”
After O’Toole’s tribute, Agwal’s parents, represented by a family friend, Sanmit Jindal, spoke about public safety, especially on an exposed vehicle such as an electric scooter.
“To all students, if you ride a bike or an electric scooter, practice safety cautions, it is better to arrive late, than not at all,” said Jindal. The Agwal family commended everyone who supported their family by bringing food and visiting Mr. Agwal during the days before his death.
His parents said that Agwal came to the university even after promising that the two brothers would never go to the same school together “because a school could not handle both of them at the same time.”
When it was his brother Aman’s turn to speak, he recalled that his brother was outgoing and had a “zest for life.” “Priyanshu loved flashy things, like for example, he wanted to get a G-wagon, or a Rolls-Royce,” he said.
“We were preparing for a good life, he was one month away from graduating, and we could have all those dreams fulfilled.”
The university will be conferring Agwal’s master’s degree at the 2024 graduation ceremony. The university also announced that his family donated his heart. Aman Agwal said he and his family felt that “despite the immense grief we have experienced, we have also found solace in knowing that Priyanshu’s life was not in vain,” and that “this decision has been a beacon of light in our time of mourning, providing us with some comfort, knowing that his generosity and spirit will continue to live on.”
The memorial ended with a video montage of him and his family. The video showed him laughing, singing, sharing shayaris and singing songs.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay the hospital bills for his stay at Yale New Haven Hospital, which included multiple surgeries.