Eight students to be remembered during memorial ceremonies

Twenty names are etched in a memorial marker on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus. Three more will be added after a trio of students from the Gainesville Campus died over a two-year period.

This act will be repeated on other markers on UNG's campuses to memorialize students who died during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years. These students will be recognized during UNG Remembers Day ceremonies on four campuses April 28.

"The day is meant to recognize and celebrate the lives of the students who have died while enrolled at UNG," said Dr. Alyson Paul, dean of students for UNG's Gainesville and Cumming campuses.

This year, eight students will be remembered. They are Rodrigo Casas from the Blue Ridge Campus; Kevin Paige from the Cumming Campus; Emilie Bruce and David Zhu from the Dahlonega Campus; Kaitlyn Dixon from the Oconee Campus; and Kerri Johnson, Tanner Lanier and Jasmine Skylar Luke, all from the Gainesville Campus.

UNG Remembers Day services will be at noon on the Blue Ridge, Gainesville, and Oconee campuses; and 4 p.m. on the Dahlonega Campus. The Cumming Campus will have a combined ceremony with the Gainesville Campus.

Family members and friends are invited to the event where faculty and staff may share thoughts about the students who have died.

"The families really appreciate the opportunity to come and mourn for their loved ones on campus," she said. "They are able to remember their child at the place where they should be."

The program also will honor faculty and staff who have died in the last two years, but the event is not just about recognizing members of the UNG community who have died. Paul said many students may have recently experienced the loss of a loved one for the first time.

"With the COVID-19 pandemic happening last year and into this year, many students have lost loved ones," Paul said. "These ceremonies will allow our students to take a moment to be sad and feel that loss and think of their loved ones in positive way and remember the wonderful things about them."

For students who are struggling with grief or other issues, Dr. John Delaney, associate vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students for UNG's Blue Ridge and Dahlonega campuses, said UNG strongly encourages use of all of the university's resources. He suggested programs such as Student Counseling and Nigel Cares and added that residence hall staff, the Dean of Students Office, academic advisers, and faculty members can guide students to additional points of support and care.

"We want any students in this situation to know that they are not alone, and they have people who care for them and want to help them through this hard journey," he said. "At UNG, we are very fortunate to have such an outstanding level of care and support from faculty and staff to help students through the death of a friend or loved one, and these direct touchpoints make a significant impact on how well a student can manage this difficult life experience."

Since 2017, UNG has hosted a remembrance day and added names to memorial markers on each campus. The 2020 event was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.