BUFFALO, N.Y. — Dr. Jonathan Daniels and his two daughters Jordan and Jensen were killed in a North Buffalo house fire one year ago.
The well-known pediatrician, and one of a handful of black pediatricians in Buffalo. Part of his work involved working with the Jacobs School of Medicine to train more minority medical students.
Sydney Johnson, a second-year medical student learned from Dr. Daniels.
"I was part of the class that was considered the most diverse that the school has seen yet, and that was a lot in part due to Dr. Daniel's efforts in making sure that the school was being intentional with who they're seeking out and who they're giving their offers, their acceptances to, as well as opening his arms and making sure that they see that Buffalo can be their second home if they want it o be," Johnson said.
A local chapter of the group White Coat for Black Lives held a weekend picnic as a fundraiser for scholarships in the Daniels family name. $3,500 was raised.
"We have a scholarship fund that the school has established. The goal of that scholarship is to be able to provide funds for minority students who decide to come to Jacobs. To help fund their way. Through medical school. And then for Jordan and Jensen, there's a trust that has been established where those funds are going to be set up towards other scholarships for students to pursue," according to Johnson.
Donations for the Daniels scholarship can also be sent to:
Law Office of Stephanie Adams, 363 Grant Street, Buffalo, NY 14213
Dr. Daniels' daughters were both college graduates with bright careers.
Jordan, a 2022 graduate of the UB School of Management; and Jensen, a 2021 graduate of Buffalo State College.
Their mom, Janessa Givens Daniels survived and sister Jillian, a 2020 alumna of UB’s College of Arts and Sciences was not home at the time of the fire.