In Memoriam: Sederick Dawkins

Born on September 18, 1995, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Sederick earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2017 from what was then known as the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering. While in high school he had been an active participant in groups such as Habitat for Humanity and the Model United Nations, and he continued that commitment to service and involvement here in Brooklyn, enthusiastically joining such organizations as the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), Engineers Without Borders (EWB), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). In 2016, he received the President’s Service Award from NYU, honoring his civic engagement, leadership, and contributions to student life. That same year, he was also named an In-Kind Scholar by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), recognizing his academic excellence and contributions to the engineering field.

Fully dedicated to empowering others, he served during his student years as the president of the NYU chapter of AABE, and as a senior, he was the recipient of an award for outstanding leadership from the AABE New York Metropolitan Area Chapter.

Sederick went on to forge an impressive civil engineering career, playing a pivotal role in several major projects at a series of well-regarded companies, including Posillico, GIANFIA, and Group PMX, where he served as an associate project manager for the redevelopment of JFK Terminal 4, a landmark New York City infrastructure project. Most recently, he was a project engineer at Haugland Grace Industries, whose clients included such major names as National Grid, Verizon, and the New York State Department of Transportation.

Despite the demands of those jobs, he found time to launch his own company, Areca Palm Services, aimed at mitigating bacterial and viral contamination in private and public facilities, and he never lost his interest in higher education, completing the requirements for a master’s degree in construction administration shortly before his passing. (That degree, from Columbia University, is to be awarded posthumously.)

A person of deep faith, Sederick devoted his scarce free time to his Church, and he was a strong role model to the congregation’s young members. Those lucky enough to know him often described him as a gentle soul, with a keen intellect and an unparalleled ability to spread joy, encourage others, and lend support to whomever needed it.  

“Sederick exemplified everything we hope for in our graduates: deeply knowledgeable and fiercely determined to use his education for the benefit of society, as well as kind, thoughtful, and available to those who needed him,” said Valerie Cabral, Tandon’s Senior Director of Alumni Relations. “Let's remind ourselves everyday: Be a Sederick.”

He will long be remembered at NYU Tandon, and our deepest condolences go to his parents, Carlene and Sederick Sr.; his wife, Britney; brother, Sederick Denzel; the rest of his large and loving family; and the many lifelong friends he made wherever he went.