The Baylor family is nothing but a tight-knit community of people who care deeply for one another. That is just one reason why when we heard about the death of one of our own, the whole campus was shaken.

The bears recently suffered the loss of a fellow student. I had the privilege of serving my community with this person for a brief amount of time. Though I did not know them very well or for very long, I picked up on some things during the time I was able to spend with them. This person was one of those people who you meet and immediately know that they are going far in life. They set clear goals and had every intention of reaching them. They used their past experiences to grow and better themselves as a result. They loved to worship, teach about, and learn about God, which was very clear through the way they spoke about Him.

This world lost a truly remarkable being, and our campus will always feel like it is lacking something without their presence.

I only knew them for a short time and did not interact with them anywhere other than in a setting of service. That being said, I acknowledge that I cannot speak for a whole lot of their personality because I simply was not introduced to it. I only saw a sliver of what seemed to be a very multifaceted human being, but the small portion that I knew of them was a blessing in itself.

And now the most important question: What is our next step as the Baylor family?

First, we must not dwell on the past. What happened is beyond tragic, but it was God’s will. We may not know why He did it, but we can trust that it is all part of His holy plan. As hard as it sounds to do that, it is really all that we can do.

Another thing we can do is remember that we should not be sad that we lost someone, but rather rejoice in the life they did have on this earth as well as the fact that they are now in a better place. We were blessed to have had this person as a part of our community for as long as we did, but now God has called them home.

Finally, we need to stay strong. As great of a loss as it was, we cannot allow it to tear us down. We must be thankful for the memories we have with this person rather than dwell on the fact that we cannot make any more. We should celebrate their eternal life with God in heaven rather than mourn the time that they lost here on earth. We need to look at this experience as inspiration for us to live every day like it’s our last rather than taking our days for granted, because you never know when one day will be our final one.

I will always be thankful for the brief time in which I had the blessing of knowing this person.

To the family, friends, and peers of the wonderful soul we have lost: You are in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope you find comfort in knowing that they are released from the pains of the world and are now watching over us from above.