DAVIS, Calif. — Hundreds of people gathered together at Davis' Sycamore Park to remember 20-year-old Karim Abou Najm at a Celebration of Life Friday afternoon.
The UC Davis student was killed in a stabbing at the park April 29, just six weeks before he was set to graduate from the University with honors.
Friends and family members honored Abou Najm with kind words and fond memories.
Those who knew him said life had an impact on so many around campus and beyond.
"I was looking for friends and there was Karim right next to me in my very first class at UC Davis," said Said Almuzahimi, a friend of Abou Najm. "I remember his curiosity and his intelligence that is honestly unexplainable."
The two were about to graduate. Almuzahimi admits moving on is going to be difficult.
"I still don't feel like this is real," said Almuzahimi.
Fourth year student Caytlyn Noble says Abou Najm was "a very genuinely sweet person," recalling the few dates they went on and how he was "probably the nicest person I've ever been on a date with."
Abou Najm came to the U.S. in 2018 from Lebanon. He graduated from Davis Senior High School with honors and went on to major in computer science at UC Davis. His family said he took pride in helping others and mentored undergraduate students.
His mother said he was a bright, brilliant and generous soul. She shared at the service that he was an intellectual who dreamt big, a music lover and a great listener.
"Cherish the moments that you have with people around you because you don't know if that will be your last moment with them," said Noble.
Even students who did not know Abou Najm felt compelled to come to the service to pay their respects and show their support for his family.
"It's sad to see such a brilliant mind taken from us so soon," said Riya Chaudhari, a UC Davis student. "We can only hope to live in his memory and spread his life and love."
An undergraduate student award has been named in Karim's honor to help support UC Davis students doing research. It is called the Karim Majdi Abou Najm Memorial Undergraduate Student Research Award. As of Friday, UC Davis officials said more than $87,000 have been raised.
Those who knew Abou Najm said this is just one of the ways to continue his legacy.
