Columbia Journalism School is mourning the death of Beau Rose Jessup, a Master of Science student whose passing has brought sadness to her family, friends, classmates and the wider university community.

The school publicly announced her death on October 28, 2026, expressing condolences to those closest to her and confirming that it was working with her family to provide support during the difficult period.

On November 11, Columbia News published a remembrance featuring an interview it had conducted with Jessup the previous month for its Notebook series. The university explained that the decision to publish the conversation was made with permission from her family and encouragement from leaders and fellow students at the Journalism School. The interview offers an opportunity to remember Jessup through her own words, interests and ambitions.

Jessup was studying for a Master of Science in Journalism at Columbia and expected to graduate in May 2027. Before joining the university, she studied Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Writing for Performance at the University of Cambridge. Her academic interests included cultural journalism, particularly the ways institutions, identity and social expectations shape people’s lives.

Her interests extended beyond journalism. As a teenager, she began Beau’s Community Bakes, a newspaper column that used recipes as a starting point for conversations with older people. She also created SpecialName, a website that helped Chinese parents select English names for their children. The project attracted international attention and led to a TEDx talk.

Jessup also pursued creative writing and theatre. She wrote a play titled The Sandbag, exploring themes including family, memory and identity, and hoped to continue developing her work alongside a career in journalism.

Through Columbia’s published interview, Jessup’s interests and ambitions remain part of the record of her time at the university. The school and its community have extended their condolences to her loved ones as they remember her life and contributions.

Columbia has not publicly disclosed the circumstances or cause of her death in the statements reviewed. This article respects the family’s privacy and will be updated if further verified information is released.