Nathaniel Gordon, Penn student and first Gateway to College graduate to enter the Ivies, has died at 20

Nathaniel Gordon, 20, of Philadelphia, a University of Pennsylvania student who overcame daunting obstacles to rise to the Ivy League, died Saturday, March 23, at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

Penn officials declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Gordon’s sudden death, but offered counseling and support to university students coping with his loss.

Born in rural Georgia, Mr. Gordon moved to Philadelphia to live with a relative at age 13 when family circumstances grew difficult. By age 14, he was in the city’s foster care system.

Bright and curious, Mr. Gordon, who was known as “Nate,” was a strong student, having been homeschooled in Georgia. But by the time he shifted to foster care, he was enrolled in online school and behind on credits, not stimulated by his classwork.

» READ MORE: In group homes, this Philly student fell behind in school. Then he discovered a program and got himself into Penn.

Though he lacked the support that many young people get, Mr. Gordon knew he wanted better for his future. On his own, Mr. Gordon sought out programs that might help him achieve his goals, and enrolled in Gateway to College, a Community College of Philadelphia program that places Philadelphia School District students who have disengaged from traditional schools onto a path to earn their high school diplomas while earning college credits.

“I wanted to continue my education and get ahead,” Mr. Gordon told The Inquirer in 2022. “I always had the idea of going to college, but it seemed so far away, especially given where I was.”

Surrounded by staff who wrapped their arms around him, Mr. Gordon soared, notching straight A’s and perfect attendance and participating in the college’s Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership.

Monifa Young, Gateway to College’s director, flagged Mr. Gordon early on as “something special, just very studious, focused. You would never know about his circumstances. He was truly driven.”

Mr. Gordon’s successes felt personal to many Gateway students, who saw possibilities for themselves because of what Mr. Gordon had weathered.

“He will always be the poster child for the program,” said Young. “He embodied what success looked like and the kind of student that we hope we can make a difference in their lives. This is just devastating — he had so much more to accomplish, and his life was cut so short.”

Mr. Gordon eventually started to work as an intern in state Sen. Sharif Street’s office through a partnership the office has with Gateway to College. He immediately impressed Aissia Richardson, Street’s deputy chief of staff.

“He was amazing,” said Richardson. “He was incredibly curious; he was just a great kid.”

Even as Gordon racked up recognition, his home life was unstable; he moved four times in his senior year of high school. Mr. Gordon would sometimes take boxes of cereal from the food pantry at Street’s office to the young people who lived in his foster home.

“We adopted Nate,” said Richardson. Street staffers would give him rides to work. Mr. Gordon got into Penn on his own merit, but once he did, Richardson made phone calls to Penn administrators to make sure his financial aid was in place.

Civic engagement was important to Mr. Gordon; he designed three bookmarks to educate Street’s constituents. Staffers proudly tell visitors to the offices that the young man who designed them went on to Penn, Richardson said.

“He made an impact,” said Richardson. Mr. Gordon, she said, volunteered at health fairs, turkey drives, meal distributions, and other community events. “I will always remember his persistence.”

Mr. Gordon was the Gateway to College valedictorian in 2022, and the first Gateway to College student to earn a spot at any Ivy League university. He had already amassed 36 college credits, and had a grade-point average above 4.0.

At Penn, he participated in Makuu, the university’s Black cultural center. He was an economics major who continued to give back — recently volunteering to teach middle schoolers about financial literacy, and, at Young’s invitation, speaking to Gateway seniors about his path to Penn.

“He did talk about how it was a transition, being in an environment where your peers are affluent,” said Young. “His story was quite the opposite. He said it was an initial culture shock, but he had different advisers and Gateway staff reminding him, ‘You belong, you’re there because you belong.’”

Information about survivors was not immediately available. A memorial service was being planned by Gateway to College.

Staff writer Susan Snyder contributed to this article.