On Wednesday, March 21, the FIU Student Government Association held a moving vigil to remember the victims and their families of the pedestrian bridge tragedy. During the event, President Mark B. Rosenberg shared a message with the community in both English and Spanish, and Alexa Duran’s best friends bravely sang “Stay” by Rihanna for those gathered.

During the vigil, people shared moments from this past week that demonstrated the community’s dedication to one another.

Student Government Association President Krista Schmidt shared a card given to her by students from a local elementary school who were visiting FIU for a field trip. The children told her they’d made it for the families of those lost.

“They’ll never know how much that moment meant to me and the strength that it gave me to continue moving forward,” Schmidt said. “These small acts of kindness are what makes humanity beautiful. All of you are so much stronger than you know. Our students are strong, our community is strong, and our FIU is strong.”

FIU is always here for us. It is in these difficult times that the FIU Panther Nation must come together to support our community.

You may view the 38-minute program below. You may also read the full story about this event by clicking here.