From 5-7 p.m. Dec. 5, a memorial service will be held for the passing of Raoul Soans, a senior business administration student, in the Bronco Student Center (BSC) in Ursa Major C. Friends, family and anyone who knew Soans are welcome to attend to pay their respects to the fallen Bronco.
The entire Cal Poly Pomona community fell silent while reading an email at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 24. The Office of Vice President of Student Affairs informed the CPP community of the passing of student Soans.
On Oct. 22, Cal Poly Pomona Police Department sent out an email asking for assistance to find a missing student. Soans was last seen leaving campus around 9:49 p.m. Oct. 18.
According to the email, “On Oct. 18, 2019 at about 9:49 p.m., Cal Poly Pomona student Raoul S. Soans left his campus residence in a silver 2018 Ford Escape with Texas plate KWB3607 and has not been seen since. Soans was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and dark blue pants.”
The entire CPP community was urged to contact campus police with any information regarding Soans’ disappearance.
According to the email sent by Interim Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Eileen G. Sullivan, “It is, however, with a very heavy heart that I share news of Raoul Soans’ passing. On the Dean’s List, Raoul was a senior majoring in business administration with a concentration in computer science. He was employed as a BRIC adventure attendant, and involved in the Indian Student Association, the Forensics and Security Club and the Bronco Ascenders Club.”
Third-year finance student Will Lincoln knew Soans through climbing at the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC).
Lincoln said, “He was always so bubbly and had a smile on his face. He was just a great person to hang around and talk to. I knew he was from Washington, and when I first moved to California and Cal Poly, I was from out of state too. We bonded over that.”
The last memory Lincoln has with Soans was about three weeks before his passing in Seattle-Tacoma International airport.
“I happened to run into him as I was standing in line. I did a double-take because I said, ‘That looks like Raoul. Raoul is that you?’ he said, ‘Oh my god, what a small world.’ We were both on a flight back to Ontario. Unfortunately, that was the last time that I saw him, and he was just so happy.”
Lincoln wanted all of CPP and Soans’ family to know, “He was loved by so many and had so many friends. I don’t know how much his family knew about what he was doing down here, but he was so loved and so cared about.”
Update: In the printed version of the story, The Poly Post stated that Soans was last seen 9:49 a.m. on Oct 19. We have corrected it online to 9:49 p.m on Oct. 18.