Fond Farewell: Online Master of Business Administration Student Delaney Marchant

Graduate student Delaney Marchant, who was a student in the online Master of Business Administration program, passed away April 28. She was 23.

Born December 17, 1998, she grew up in San Clemente exhibiting a natural gift as a child for artistic creations, performing, and music. Her love of theatre started in early elementary school when she scored the lead of the Little Red Hen, and she performed all through high school, taking on roles including Milky White in Into the Woods, and Grandmama in The Addams Family. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley, in 2020 with a degree in theatre and performance studies and a 4.0 GPA.

Marchant started Chico State’s MBA program with an option in project management in spring 2021 with the goal of enhancing her entertainment career with business knowledge. Her faculty said that even through an online-only program, she made an immediate and lasting impression on her teachers and her fellow students.

“She always made time to meet with me and discuss how she could be more successful,” said professor Angela Casler said. “She deeply cared about the quality of her work and was a beautiful person inside and out.”

Marchant truly was an exceptional student, said professor Suzanne Zivnuska.

“Delaney worked very hard in my class. She was very communicative and honest, wore her heart on her sleeve, and really gave the best she had,” she said. “I appreciated her authenticity, her sweet nature, and her dedication and persistence.”

Marchant’s family describes her as deeply passionate and someone who had the logic and facts to back up any argument she took on. She was an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and an advocate for racial justice, equity for those with disabilities, and numerous other causes. A natural leader and teacher, she also loved animals and children.

She recently earned her second-degree black belt in Taekwando and became an instructor, enjoying not just its test of physical endurance but values of compassion and respect. And she had just accepted her dream job as an art and design coordinator at Laika, LLC, a stop-motion animation studio in Oregon.

Marchant is survived by her parents, Bob and Kathy Marchant; sister Kasey; grandmother Jean Peloquin; step-grandmother Laurie Meehan; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 4, from 1–3 p.m. at the Casino San Clemente, 140 Avenida Pico in San Clemente. Additional information will be posted on the Remembering Delaney Facebook page.

The University flag will be lowered Monday, May 23, in her memory.