It is hard to express the sadness on campus this morning upon the news of the loss of a student, Alicia Gonzalez (’19). Any loss of life is tragic, but to lose two students within a month is almost unbearable. I hope you will join me in sending your thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and those who knew and loved Alicia.
We sent a message out to parents and families about Alicia’s passing earlier today. I want to stress the fact that we are here to support our students, whether they are still on campus or have already left after finals. Support is available for any student who needs it. Students can contact the University Counseling Center (336-758-5273); crisis counseling is available anytime, anywhere. Students can also contact the Office of the Chaplain (336-758-5210) for support. The University Counseling Center and the Office of the Chaplain also held a gathering this afternoon so members of the campus community had a place and space to grieve together.
Please encourage your students to ask for help if they need it, whether they are on campus or not. It is a sign of strength to ask for help. Our excellent University Counseling Center has an very good website that is about grieving. We all grieve differently and there is no single “right” way to grieve.
If we learn details of memorial services that get emailed to students, those would be posted on our Family News page. Until then, please send your thoughts and prayers to Alicia’s family, friends, and loved ones.
