WRITTEN BY YULIANA ALTAMIRANO and VANESSA DUENAS On Friday January 12th, 2018, Miranda Araya was skating down Balboa Road, ready to cross the intersection of Balboa and Plummer, when she was tragically struck by a vehicle. She suffered multiple broken bones and a brain injury. The initial investigation disclosed that the driver was not under the influence of any substance. After two days in the hospital, on Saturday January 14th, Miranda Araya was pronounced dead. Miranda was an extraordinary person. So full of life and always radiating with positivity and love. She was an extremely caring person. Miranda brought so much light and love to everything and everyone and never failed to put a smile on someone's face. Ms. Hernandez, the mother of Miranda, said, “Miranda lived to the fullest and made the most of every day, every opportunity…She wanted to experience everything possible.” Miranda had a love for many things. She loved music, her dog Pugsly, and had a great passion for skating. She also loved going to concerts, museums, and parks. Miranda was never afraid to try new things. Miranda was always open to trying new experiences and constantly lived life to the fullest. “Live like Miranda” was a phrase that Mr. Tyni (the former vice principal of VAAS) came up with during his speech at the 2019 graduation ceremony, the year Miranda Araya would’ve graduated high school. “…it stands for what Miranda embodied and the impact she had on everyone…” says Lesly Altamirano, a friend of Miranda’s. Miranda was greatly loved by the community, as over 100 kids showed up to the memorial to celebrate Miranda’s life. After the accident, a bench was put up at the back of our campus. It is lined with blue and yellow skateboards, two of her favorite colors. There is also a plaque, made from one of her very own skateboards, that stands next to the memorial labeled with her name and more information about her. Multiple tiles lay, leading a pathway to the bench. Each tile is painted to represent a piece of her life and who she was as a person. The memorial was full of color and light just like Miranda, with beautiful flowers planted around it. Today the bench still sits at the back of our campus, unfortunately not in the same condition. Sadly, the bench has not gotten the care it deserves and needs to keep it in presentable condition. Some of the skateboards have been stolen and the paint of the tiles have started to fade away. The beautiful flowers once planted beside Miranda’s memorial are now gone. In order to maintain the legacy of Miranda. Members of The Ssssource will work with the senior leadership class to get the memorial repaired and vibrant again. We will start documenting the progress of the memorial as soon as the repairs start. Miranda’s memory is something that we would love to keep alive here at VAAS. The love and light that she brought to our community should never be forgotten. Comments are closed.
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EditorZachary Buenaventura Author
Yuliana Altamirano CategoriesArchives
June 2023
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