Dawn on summer trip to Nova Scotia — with Dawn Dekle

PhD Graduation

TJSL Academic Awards Ceremony - Spring ‘25 — with Salonica Hunter and Dawn Dekle

Before attending law school, and even before working in entertainment, I had a passion for international service work! Having been a Gilman Scholar in undergrad and completing a study abroad program in Ghana, my initial plan was to join the Peace Corps and become an educational ambassador.

Because life post-grad looked very different, I tucked away those dreams. These were only sparked again through my first conversation with Dean Dekle last September as we discussed the opportunities and possibilities that come from acquiring a J.D.

Dean Dekle was a Wonder Woman with a story that inspired. Her impression on me will forever remain, as she embodied the intersection between a legal education and global service that I needed to know was possible again! I am so grateful that our paths crossed.

Of the few people on my list who I want to make proud, Dean Dekle will remain at the top.

Dear Dawn, I can't believe that you are gone.......The memories that we had working together are something that I will always cherish. Goodbye Dawn.  

I first met Dawn in 2011, when she picked me up from the Kabul airport in a bulletproof vehicle. As we navigated the backstreets of the city at breakneck speeds, she laid out my mission. “If you choose to accept it,” she said with a smile, “it might just be the most meaningful role of your career.” By the time we arrived at the school, I already knew she was right. The place was extraordinary—full of purpose, energy, and promise—and much of that was thanks to Dawn. Her leadership had a quiet but powerful force, always lifting those around her to rise to their best.

We met in Kabul in the spring of 2011 when she came to interview for the Provost position at the American  University of Afghanistan. Everyone was dazzled by her accomplishments and eloquence. She was the talk of the town. Nobody could stop talking about the impressive scholar/lawyer/leader who might be the next Provost. Everyone was hoping she would take the job which we all knew she was going to be offered. After she was hired, she emailed me in the summer of 2011 to ask if she could sit in my History of Afghanistan class. I was both honored and amazed that someone with her credentials would want to come to my class. It was a testament to her intellectual curiosity and genuine desire to embrace the cultures she lived in. It was also a very poignant way of imparting to students that learning is a lifelong endeavor that never ends. She came to every class and sat in the back with the students. Her humility amid all her exceptional achievements was rare and she was so giving and caring.  I have so many beautiful and unforgettable memories of Dawn that could fill the pages of a multi-volume book. I will work to honor her legacy and memory through my teaching and other ways worthy of the extraordinary, worldly, compassionate, cultured, refined, awe-inspiring, and stupendous human being she was. Words cannot do justice to her phenomenal character and remarkable accomplishments. May she find peace and serenity in the next world. 

We met on safari and she said she was a spy and I immediately fell in love with her...

May dragonflies be with you always.

XO

D

I am very distraught at this news. President Dawn Dekle always gave me a hug every time she saw me on campus at Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Even though I’ve only known her for nine months, she has greatly influenced my life in more ways than I can count and describe.

Rest in Eternal Peace, President Dawn Dekle.

So sorry to learn of this terrible news.  Dawn was a good friend, a keen observer of humanity, and an inspiration to students in every university where she taught.  She will be greatly missed.

No words can fully convey the depth of her loss. Dawn’s legacy is one that will resonate for generations to come. She was a guiding light, a gentle presence, and a source of inspiration to people around the world. It was a privilege to be part of her final chapter, and while I am profoundly grateful for that time, I am equally heartbroken that our journey together has come to an end. My heartfelt condolences to the family. May you find comfort and strength in cherishing the extraordinary woman Dawn was. She brought light and goodness to the world, leaving it brighter and better than she found it.

The world has lost an amazing and wonderful leader and scholar, and many of us have lost a beloved friend. Whether she was quoting the poet Hafiz or the martial artist/actor Bruce Lee, Dawn always knew how to connect, support, just what to say and, especially, how make other people feel special. In her last email to me she said “I am living my dream life, in a dream job, in a dream location. I don't want to sleep because my waking life is better than my dreams when I sleep.” We can all take solace in knowing that Dawn lived life to the absolute fullest. Sending strength to Max and Dawn’s family. 

What devastating news. Dawn was a light and I'm lucky to have known her. Sending my love to all those who loved her as we process this shared grief. We need more Dawn Dekles in the world, now more than ever.

I am saddened to hear the passing of Dean Dekle. My deepest condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and students at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and other universities she worked at, and the legal community at large.  

I’m really saddened to hear about the passing of Dr. Dawn Dekle, our former AUN President. She was an amazing leader who did a lot for our university and inspired many of us. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and everyone at AUN during this tough time. May she rest in peace.

Heartfelt condolences to Dr. Dekle's family, loved ones, and friends. We have lost a brilliant and brave international educator and a very special person.

May your gentle soul rest in peace.

May your beautiful soul rest in peace 

American University of Nigeria — with Dawn Dekle