Ronni ButtsAbout 200 students, faculty, staff and administrators attended a vigil Monday for Zyarre Prince, an NCCU sophomore who died on Saturday. The vigil, organized by the Student Government Association, celebrated the life of Prince and called for students to support their friends in the midst of mental struggles.
The university announced Prince’s death in a Fallen Eagle alert Sunday afternoon.
Prince, who was studying criminal justice, was a public figure on campus, serving as Mister Freshman on NCCU’s Royal Court in 2024-2025. He also completed a campaign for Mister Junior last week.
Prince’s fathers, William Taylor II and Enrico Proctor, both attended. Taylor said that they were preparing to return to Maryland after completing arrangements, but made sure to stay in Durham when he heard about the student’s plan for the vigil.
“He would be so proud and so excited to see so many people…come to take a moment to celebrate his life,” Taylor told the crowd. “We would give our number to every single one of you if it meant that you would not succumb to the same things that he fell prey to, which is depression in silence.”
Both Taylor and Proctor spoke about their appreciation for NCCU students’ support for Prince and the importance of reaching out for mental health support.
“I’m encouraging you to lean on your people,” Taylor said.
Many students were crying. But at times, the crowd was filled with laughter as family and students reflected on Prince’s character.
Several students spoke at the vigil, including members of the Student Government Association and Royal Court. NCCU’s WPI Choir also sang.
“Zyarre, to me, represented unapologetic self-expression,” NCCU junior Joseph Ingram said.
Ingram said that he first met Prince when he invited him to join The Collegiate Haus of Vultur, a ballroom modeling organization he founded.
“He was my Mister Freshman and I wasn’t even a freshman,” Ingram said.
Prince was a prominent member of NCCU’s modeling scene and was a member of CPR Modeling Troupe. Several students from CPR and other on-campus modeling troupes shared memories of Prince: his confidence, encouragement and not being afraid to be himself.
“I feel like the event was a very nice way to show how much the community [had] his back, even if he didn’t see it up front,” NCCU sophomore and CPR member Jada Byrd told the Campus Echo. “Everyone here loved him. Zyarre was a beautiful soul.”
At the end of the vigil, Prince’s parents and students held candles in front of a table filled with images of Prince and bouquets of flowers.
At the conclusion of the event, Student Body President Sha’Lexus Sanders encouraged students to seek counseling if needed as they mourn, echoing a statement she released on Instagram on Sunday.
