Our Loss is Heaven's Gain

On Monday, February 7, 2011, we faced a terrible tragedy. Violet Reyes, a 21 year old nursing student, passed away. It is a tragedy to have lost someone so young on our campus. However, though the pain is great and the sadness is overwhelming, we must press on and move forward to honor her memory. She was a lovely and vivacious young woman and will live in our hearts forever.

            Violet Reyes was an incredible young woman. She always had a smile on her face and always seemed to have a cheerful personality even when she was having a bad day. Her personality was so much larger than her small exterior. Born with dwarfism, she had to overcome many struggles in her life. However, despite her troubles with her height, she always seemed to be so much bigger than that. She was the life of the party. She was welcomed in all social circles. She was the friend you always had even when you thought you had none. She was a strong, vibrant person, who pretty much had an answer for anything. She had a very big heart and was not afraid to show it.

            Violet has many roles to her name, yet daughter and sister seem to be her biggest roles. Her family is devastated by their loss; however they know that she is in heaven smiling upon them. Both her mother and her father thank God everyday for her life here on Earth. Violet was always shopping for her younger sister. She would always go to the mall with her best friend, Luis Ramos, and go to Starbucks and hit the mall. She was a big part of every person's life that she touched.

            Violet's younger sister, Mary Reyes, says "Violet was an amazing person who was mostly angel and only part human. She had the largest personality that lived inside the smallest package." She continues to say "She loved Lady Gaga, Peppermint Mocha Fraps and cinnamon rolls. She adored Ricky Martin and The Killers and she lived her life to the fullest. She lived for shopping, concerts and her buffalo wings." Violet made such an impact on everyone in her life. Her sister is proof of that. Mary is now the eldest of her siblings and is taking on the role the best she can. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. Friendship and family meant a lot to Violet.

            Evan Cisneros, one of Violet's good friends, says "I have a lot of friends, but Violet was by far the one of the most dependable people in my life." He continues to speak about his friend by saying "Violet was a beautiful person on the inside and outside and those who were close to her felt her overwhelming positive personality. I will always remember her smile because no matter how bad a day my friends or I were having, it made us feel better." Violet was a tremendous person to have in your life and she was so much fun to be around.

            You could always find Violet jamming out to her favorite singer, Lady GaGa, all the time. Whether she was posting the lyrics on her FaceBook statuses or posting them on someone else's wall, she was always in the mood for GaGa.  She truly lived her life like any college student. She went out, she danced, she partied, she had fun, but she was different. She may have been small, but her heart was so big. She was an absolute treasure. While she may be gone, she will always live on in the hearts of the people she touched. We all love and miss you so much Violet. Our thoughts and prayers are to you and your family.