Sophomore Marjie Whitman and senior Kayla Ross lost their lives in a car crash Aug. 19. The impact of this has been felt greatly by friends and family as well as the overall community, who banded together in support. A memorial was held to honor the girls on Aug. 30, and many local businesses contributed to help out the families. One business owner, Megan Pullen, even donated a week’s worth of profit towards Ross’ family.
“The community has acted in an amazing way,” Taylor Dewitt, a close friend of Whitman, said. “The amount of support that has shown up for these two families is beyond words. It makes me feel happy seeing everyone come together, and sticking together, because I think [that is] what we truly need.”
Whitman was 15 years old at the time of the crash and was involved in Hagerty’s cheer team and her local church community, but had switched to taking online classes, with plans of returning to Hagerty. Despite not actively attending the school, the mark she left on her friends and classmates is evident.
“I always had someone that I could fall back on, that I knew loved me and was always there for me,” Chase Vacchioo, a close friend of Whitman said. “I never questioned, ‘Do I have someone?’ because I knew I could always text Marjorie and she would be there. She always touched everyone’s heart. [When] she was around, she made you feel included.”
Whitman’s mom was from Guatemala, which sparked her passion for helping out kids who lived there. For her 16th birthday, which would have been on Oct. 14, she planned to go on a mission trip to help give back to that community. After her death, her family created a GoFundMe, with proceeds going to help fund school supplies for children in Guatemala.
“Marjorie had been waiting for this,” Dewitt said. “When [we] asked Marj, ‘What do you want for your birthday?’ She would be like, ‘No no don’t worry about me. I don’t really need anything, but I want to start planning that mission trip in Guatemala.’ Marjorie cared so much about being there for the less fortunate. It truly was her favorite thing, so the GoFundMe helps tremendously.”
Kayla Ross was 17 years old, and was taking online classes at the time of the crash, but had attended Hagerty from her freshmen through junior years. She spent most of her time enjoying the company of her friends and family.
Her stepsister, Georgia Giovanelli, had a close relationship with Ross and currently attends Hagerty as a senior.
“She always had energy. She was always laughing or doing something that would annoy me,” Giovanelli said. “That’s my sister, but that’s [also] my best friend, even though we’re not blood. She always helped everything, and she made everything so much better.”
Members of Ross’s family saw lots of support from the community after facing ongoing challenges following her death. A GoFundMe was created to help them through this time.
“I think that [in] everything that everybody has done for the community and for my stepmom, they’ve done a good job, and I think that they appreciate it,” Giovanelli said.
Students and families have been finding ways to cope with the loss.
“I try not to think about it a lot, but I know that she’s still there, and I know that she’s taking care of everybody,” Giovanelli said. “You’re always going to have a part of them if you need them, and everything will be okay, eventually. They’re in a better place.”
Grief counselors were on campus in the days following the incident, but those involved know the process takes a long time.
“I feel like people grieve in so many different ways, but it will just take time,” Alex Droste, a close friend of Whitman’s, said. “It will never go back to the way it was, but it will just get easier to live with. I feel like she will always be in my thoughts and my heart. When I’m cheering I will be doing it for her.”
Students in need of support are encouraged to go talk with their school counselors or see external resources.
