In Memory of Nick Leslie: Victory of the People Scholarship

On July 14, 2016, UC Berkeley undergraduate student Nicolas Leslie was unexpectedly taken from his loving family and community during the ISIS terrorist attack in Nice, France. His parents Conrad and Paola Leslie’s hearts are broken and the depth of their sorrow is unimaginable, yet their love for Nick continues to grow each day. They honor the memory of their son with the Victory of the People Scholarship to provide support for undergraduate students enrolled in Berkeley Study Abroad programs at UC Berkeley (https://give.berkeley.edu/browse/?u=418).

In his two years at Berkeley, Nicolas blossomed into a loving young man with incredible capabilities and limitless opportunities. Nick worked hard to succeed at Berkeley, and had a great time doing so. He dreamed of one day becoming the CEO of a large sustainable food company. He was confident that he was going to reach his goals and change the world. Before he left to Nice, he told his father “Dad you don’t have to worry about me. I am at UC Berkeley, in the best consulting group in school, best fraternity, and just made it into Haas.” Things could not get any better.

He was having the best time of his life studying abroad in Nice. He was surrounded by friends, eating good food, and exploring new places while learning how to develop a start-up business. He was determined to learn as much as possible, meet many people, and experience life to the fullest. On his last night on earth, Nick strolled down the promenade with the confidence of a young man on top of the world looking at fireworks. His confidence came from knowing that he had made it to the top university, had friends and family that loved him so much, and had a clear path to a bright future.

The name Nicolas means “Victory of the People.” We believe that the people will be victorious and prevail over terror and hate even if it’s one person at a time. We can raise consciousness when we meet new people, travel abroad, share our feelings, interchange ideas, and propose new points of view / solutions. This Victory of the People memorial scholarship helps develop future ambassadors for global peace and understanding.