An 11th grade student from the International Finance Career High School at Franklin died yesterday while at the YMCA.

Rashid Wigington, 16, struck his head while playing basketball at the Monroe Family YMCA at about 7:40 p.m. and later died at Strong Memorial Hospital.

“It is a sad day in the Rochester City School District,” said Superintendent of Schools Jean-Claude Brizard. “Coming on the heels of the loss of our School of the Arts student on Sunday, this is another bright young life that did not have the chance to blossom. As a district, we extend our deepest sympathy to Rashid’s family and will support them in every way we can. As a parent, I send my personal condolences.”

“Rashid was well liked, an honor-roll student, and an all-around solid kid,” said Ali Abdulmateen, principal of the International Finance Career High School at Franklin. “I used to joke that he was my youngest son and he’d call me ‘old man’. We had that kind of friendship, and that’s the kind of young man he was.”

Rashid’s father, Greg Payne, stated that “Rashid was a remarkable young man, had many more friends than he expected, and I was very proud of him.”
He is survived by two brothers and three sisters.  

The District’s Grief Counseling Team is at the school today working with students and helping them express their emotions in healthy, positive ways.  The YMCA has also arranged for a grief counselor from the Rochester Police Department to be on hand at the Monroe YMCA’s Teen City facility today at 4:00 p.m.