One evening early last fall, Esther Kubia and several friends were dancing around a dorm room, listening to music, trying on dresses and styling one another’s hair. Kubia grabbed her camera and began taking photos to give them all something to remember the night by.
Little did they know that the photos would become something to remember Kubia by. A 22-year-old strategic media junior at Oral Roberts University, Kubia died Jan. 15.
Born in Cameroon, Kubia began ORU in August 2024 and earned a reputation as an outstanding student, planning to graduate in three years while maintaining a high GPA. She was involved in choir and worked as a university engagement coordinator while also serving as the account planning and creative services lead for both Education for Scholars and the International Gospel Center.
Esther was a dedicated member of the Oracle social media team, helping produce short and long-form content for the Oracle Instagram account. Her work was produced with creativity and excellence.
“Esther was that girl,” said Tatiana Kaykay, a sophomore studying International Relations.
Together, Kaykay and Chayil Mefful, a psychology junior, will always remember Kubia as a kind friend — sometimes “too kind,” they said,
“She made me try to be a kinder person,” Mefful said.
Kubia inspired Kaykay to work harder.
“There was a point in my life where I was bringing myself down,” Kaykay said. “I wasn’t living up to what I knew I could do, because of just pure laziness and procrastination. My dad said to me, ‘You have to pray for the values that you see in other people.’ And I prayed for Esther’s heart of determination.”
Kubia always gave her best effort not matter what she was doing, Kaykay said.
“When it came to her friends, when it came to planning things, when it came to her work, when it came to the things she loved — her photography — 100%,” Kaykay said.
Cristi Eschler-Freudenrich, a professor of Strategic Media, served as Kubia’s faculty advisor.
In late April 2025, Eschler-Freudenrich received a message from Professor Henry Ninde regarding Kubia’s photography work.
“He shared with me that Esther’s digital photography final project was the best he’d ever seen from a student,” Eschler-Freudenrich said. “I wasn’t surprised, as that level of excellence was characteristic of her.”
Kubia’s photography project was featured on social media.
“She wanted to share the photo story, a story about the deep bond of sisterhood, of hurt and forgiveness. In her words, the work symbolized the prodigal daughter, reconciliation and God’s enduring love,” Eschler-Freudenrich said.
“The longer I live, the harder it is to make sense of a loss like this,” Eschler-Freudenrich continued. “I know we can’t understand it, especially on this side of Heaven. I just know Esther was a light and hope to those who had the privilege of knowing her, and she will be greatly missed.”
Dealing with ongoing health issues, Kubia collapsed on campus after a class on Jan 15. She was taken to a local hospital but was pronounced dead several hours later, surrounded by her family.
Since Kubia’s death, “everything’s changed,” Kaykay said.
“It made me look at how I view life, in a sense of it’s not guaranteed, and it made me look at how I [can] live my life differently,” Kaykay said. “I felt peace when Esther died because I knew she was going to Heaven. I definitely believe that Esther did what she was put on this earth to do: spread love.”
A memorial service for Kubia will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the International Gospel Center, 555 S. Memorial Drive. The IGC YouTube channel will stream the service.
Kubia is survived by four siblings and her parents, Victor and Betty Kubia. Her photography project can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKzrRO5uxWD/?img_index=1
