Flags were flown high in honor of the loss of five Georgia Southern students.
On Thursday, April 25, 2015 at 6 p.m., family, friends, and students and faculty of Georgia Southern University gathered together at Sweetheart Circle to mourn the loss of five beautiful young women. Not only were they beautiful on the outside, but on the inside. All five women were set out to become nurses and were part of the Georgia Southern University nursing program.
Family, friends, faculty, and students bow their heads in prayer.
Everyone was informed on Wednesday, April 24, 2015 that a fatal accident occurred on I-16 eastbound near Savannah at 5:45 a.m. where the five GSU students passed away. It is devastating to know they passed away on the way to their last nursing clinic before the semester came to an end.
Accident on I-16
The vigil began with a few words from the faculty who apologized for the loss of these young women. There was a prayer and then a moment of silence. All you heard were hundreds of people quietly weeping from the masses reflecting on the lives of these five young women. Candles were lit while music was played to show gratitude towards their sudden loss.
The vigil was touching and many people were deeply affected by the tragic situation. Not just family and friends, but even strangers were saddened by the loss of these five young women.
It was heartbreaking to hear the fellow friends of these girls come on stage to talk about their memories with them. They only had good things to say about them, mentioning how smart, loving, and career driven they were. Towards the end of the vigil, the nursing students all stood up and recited the Nightingale pledge which they first said when they began their experience as nurses. They touched so many lives in such a short time. They were only juniors in college with their whole lives ahead of them.
Nursing students reciting the Nightingale speech.
Fellow friends mourn the loss of their five friends and classmates.
Although their lives were cut short, they will forever be remembered in the hearts of their family, friends, sisters, and fellow classmates and faculty of Georgia Southern University.
To Emily, Catherine, Abbie, Caitlyn, and Morgan,
you all will be missed, you all will be forever loved, and you all will never be forgotten.
Gone too soon, but you all still live on through the hearts of many.