First off to Bob, Whitney, Parker, Zack family and friends; I am so sorry for your loss. I know words can’t make this tragedy any easier to deal with but I hope you find peace in knowing Alex loved you all. 

As for my stories with Alex we have too many to count. We were always goofing off, going to concerts, exploring new places or just enjoying life. However, one of my favorite stories about Alex has to do with a nickname she was given from Jimmy, Vince and me. 

I’m not sure who started it but at some point we all started calling her the GWB, which stood for the great white buffalo. It sounds funny but we would often find ourselves yelling GWB when we saw Alex on campus or at a party. Alex would always laugh at us and tell us we were goons for giving her that nickname. One day Alex asked us why we started calling her that and the answer was simple. Alex was one of the rarest most majestic creatures to ever roam into our lives. 

When I think about it now, her nickname fit her so perfectly. She was an adventurous soul who loved to be free to roam. She was beautiful both inside and out but most of all she was rare. She was that person that you only meet once in a life time. Alex was so loving, caring, funny, positive, spirited and full of life which is something not often seen in this world.

I know we are all struggling to deal with the sadness of losing such a wonderful soul but we should consider ourselves lucky for having known Alex. I know in the 8 years that I knew her she made me a better person, taught me how to let go, be myself and so much more. I owe a lot to Alex. I don’t know where I would be or who I would be dating if it weren’t for her (she was the one who forced me to the party where I met the love of my life). Honestly, now I see every moment that I shared with Alex was a blessing and it makes the pain of losing her a little more bearable. 

I know no amount of praying can bring Alex back. Sometimes I still can’t believe something so awful happened to such a wonderful person. I wake up hoping that this is all just a nightmare even though I know it’s not. I feel the only way to truly give Alex and ourselves peace is to hold on to our memories and feel the love she showed us. We need to cherish the moments that we spent with her and remember all the joy that she brought into our lives. I know personally there were so many things I admired about Alex. The best way we can keep her with us is to never forget what she taught us in life and to live every day to its fullest.

I was lucky enough to meet Alex during our freshman year of college when we were randomly put onto the same floor. My first impression was "this girl is awesome and I want to be friends with her." I have this one memory of her being dared to eat a potted plant and she did--she ate the entire thing! It was like a foot tall! I was half impressed and half horrified. Still makes me crack up and I'm pretty sure I have a picture somewhere of the remnants of the plant. 

The Alex I knew liked to be silly but she was also very thoughtful, in what she thought about and what she chose to do for others. She was the kind of person who would write a birthday card that was so nice you would hold onto it for years. I got directionally confused once--we were trying to hike to a restaurant or something and not having an iPhone with gps on it was difficult--and I remember thinking how cool it was that something that could have been stressful (getting lost) actually turned into a great time (getting more time to hang out with her). She had a knack for taking something mundane and making it brighter and better, by sheer force of personality. 

I know my life was improved for having known her. Mr. and Mrs. Carroll, you guys raised a really unique person, lovely inside and out. I'm so, so sorry to hear of her passing.