Kirsten

This morning I went to worship as usual. Some of the SMs got up early and went to breakfast at the wellness center. They came back looking depressed and said they had bad news. Jon said a Southern student on Yap was killed. I couldn't believe it and I was like, no. Then they said it was Kirsten Wolcott and gave me the printout of the news article. I was so shocked I was like, "You have to be kidding." It finally sank in and I was really depressed.

Let me go back to when I first met Kirsten. My brother and I went to a game night at Southern. Some people were hanging out at an apartment. Most of the people there were Outdoor Leadership majors. Wyntre, an OL major, brought her room mate Kirsten. We played Clue with several people and I was introduced to her. I remember thinking that she was really cute and seemed nice from the brief talking we did.

I didn't see her for a long while. Then I joined the Student Mission class right after Spring Break. I sat all over the room in that class because I always came in late and just grabbed whatever seat was empty. One day I was asking Lauren (who's in Majuro now) about something and Kirsten was sitting next to Lauren. So by accident I ended up sitting next to her. We remembered each other and both of us knew Wyntre. After that it wasn't an accident that I sat by her every class and I was better about being on time as well.

I thought she was really cute and I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out during finals week. To my surprise she said yes. We had a great time at IHOP and Rock City. The next day she left for summer vacation. We talked often on the phone after that and discovered we had a lot in common. We both liked the outdoors and loved God. Unfortunately, both of us were planning to go overseas to different places. Even so, she invited me to come see her in Virginia. I didn't need a second invitation and jumped on a plane.

That weekend was awesome. We went to Jamestown where there is a model early American settlement. They live a large river and we played in the water there. She baby-sat two kids who were about 6 years old. I remember being struck by how good she was with them. She was loving and gentle, but directed them away from all harm. I could tell that she loved kids. She was an Elementary Education major in college and I could tell her life passion was working with kids. When I complemented her on it she said simply, "It's what I do." Her family was really nice and very close. I enjoyed talking with her two older brothers, Dad, who is a dentist, and her mom, who is a school teacher. They all welcomed me and saw to it that I had the best time possible. When their boat died, they borrowed an aunt's boat and we went wakeboarding. It was a very fun afternoon on the water.

We both thought that we could have a future together, but didn't want to do anything before the year overseas. I was hoping that after the year there could be something.

The next time I saw her was in Hawaii. She was excited to be going to Yap. Unlike me, she had taken the time to plan everything she would need along the trip. She was so organized and had everything together. One morning a bunch of the SMs got up at 5 am and we walked up Diamonds Head. It is the tallest place in Hawaii. I walked with her all the way up and we enjoyed chatting about our summer and what we would do in the islands. We jogged for awhile, which is something she enjoyed doing every morning. We hung out on the beach and in the shops of Honolulu on the afternoon off. I had a great time just hanging out with her. She was such a fun, happy person. She was always positive about everything. Her Virginia accent cracked me up and I made a little fun of her sometimes.

We had an SM dedication service the night before we all left. I sat next to her and on the bus ride back. She was an early morning person and it was late so she was tired. After we got off the bus I said goodbye, because I knew she wouldn't be up as early as us the next morning. (My group had to leave at 4 am.) I remember being very sad and wanting to cry, but I just said a simple goodbye and we left. I think I'll always remember what she was wearing and the way she looked that night.

Even though I only knew her a short time, I knew that she was an amazing person. She was a spiritual, solid, good person. She was also lots of fun. It's hard to believe she's gone. I feel for the whole Wolcott family. They are all so close and I can't imagine what they are going through. While I was in Virginia they were very protective of their little girl. She would call them before she left places and when she got there so they wouldn't worry. I'm very thankful for the time I was able to spend with Kirsten and wouldn't change anything. When I left her house in Virgina she got up at 4:30 am to take me to the airport. On the ride I told her, "I've looked a long time and I know that a girl as good as you doesn't come along very often. You're a better person than me." She just gave a little laugh and said, "I don't know if that's true."