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 very touching and many people were deeply affected by the tragic situation. Not just family and friends, but complete 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.
Family, friends, and Georgia Southern University gathered in Sweetheart Circle.
The tragic news has spread to other universities, and they have been showing support with their tweets, Instagram posts, and by using the hashtag, #GSUStrong.
Georgia College and State University, was one of the first universities to show support on Instagram with the picture below. Their caption was, “From our cohort to the Georgia Southern community, know that we are constantly praying that God will bring comfort and peace to y’alls hearts. We are all Eagles! #gsustrong #wearealleagles @georgiasouthernuniversity”.
The nursing program of Ohio State University has also showed their support on Instagram with the picture below. The Georgia Southern University page on Instagram reposted their picture with a caption saying, “Thank you so much to @ohiostateuniversity College of Nursing students for sending this sweet poster in honor of the #nursing students we lost earlier this week. #OhioState #GeorgiaSouthern
The following week, Georgia Southern Students announced for everyone in Georgia to wear blue in honor of the five nursing students that passed away on I-16. Many students and faculty posted pictures wearing blue with the hashtag #GSUStrong to remember the lives of these five GSU nursing students. GSUStrong was even printed on the baseball fields. Nothing better than seeing Georgia Southern University and the community come together during such a trying time.
Although their lives were cut short, they will forever be remembered in the hearts of their family, friends, sisters, fellow classmates and faculty of Georgia Southern University and all of Georgia.
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.