My first day of sophomore year was the day I met Bethany. I saw that I was assigned seats with her in my Algebra II class and I quietly sat down next to her, nervous to commence the year ahead. Although she was a freshman, she had this unshakable, positive energy to her that made you feel comfortable, that everything was going to turn out alright. She looked at me and said, "Hi, I'm Bethany!" From that moment on, I knew that we would become great friends. For the rest of the year, we sat next to each other and we had meaningful and truly authentic conversations, laughs that made our stomachs hurt, and smiles that were eternally cherished. She was a beacon of light in everyone's life, including mine, and I can never thank her enough for that.

One thing about Bethany stood out to me most throughout the time that I knew her. I had never met someone so wise for their age. She always did the right thing, always helped others no matter what, always remained positive in difficult situations, and always smiled even if there was no reason to. This girl did not have a single bad bone in her body - her graceful and kind presence was enough to change a bad day into a good one. Even after the year ended and we went our separate ways, we never forgot each other. We always waved and shined a smile when we passed by each other in the hallways.

Fast forward to BC Calculus this year. Although we didn't talk much, we still wished each other good luck before each test. I always admired how confident she was in herself, as well as how prepared she was for everything. From the colorful array of pens and mechanical pencils that she used to decorate the edges of her homework, to the pink and orange planner that she carried around so diligently, she never ceased to amaze me by how much she loved to discover and learn - and have fun with it, too!

This tragedy makes my heart so indescribably heavy, and I will forever miss this angel. Rest easy, Bethany. I will never, ever forget you.