I have about forty topics in queue for this blog, and somehow they’ve all been postponed due to the last few weeks.
Two weeks ago, on July 27, one of my most awe-inspiring classmates and best friends was senselessly killed in a car accident.
She had her two cats with her; only one made it.
Being someone who has come to terms with my lack of belief in a greater purpose, someone who does not believe in an omnipotent deity or an over-arching order in this world, I am simply devastated.
My heart goes out to her family and her fiance.
The story of exactly what happened–the phone calls, the gathering of good friends round a table with more than one empty chair, the absolute heartbreak at such a loss, and the return to clinics after such a loss because it was what she would have wanted, the memorial service–these are all mere details.
The important things to note are her ever-present smile, a ray of sunshine in any day, and her inability to mask her emotions about anything. How we never lacked her opinion on anything, and how she was never afraid to ask a question or five in class due to her insatiable curiosity and desire to be the best vet she could possibly be.
She has inspired more than just our class to strive for more, and as I walk the halls I can feel her absence. She is forever a member of the Class of 2009 and forever one of the most inspiring people I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
She was in my very first college class–8am genetics!–and a fiercely loyal friend for the last 3.5 years. Many an hour we spent at our rec center working out, or at our local sandwich shop studying for countless exams. Some hours we spent just sitting at her house watching TV (House and Grey’s Anatomy were favorites) or talking. She was one of the most compassionate listeners I’ve met, and she was to become one of the most incredible veterinarians of our generation. She will be sorely missed.
In her honor, our group of friends decided to start a memorial scholarship to continue to honor her contribution to our class, our school and our profession. While it kind of breaks the rules of anonymity for my school I’ve kept on this blog, there are things more important. Donations to the Cassandra Scott Memorial Scholarship can be made by check payable to The Texas A&M Foundation and in the memo section of the check, please write “Cassandra Scott Scholarship”.
Checks should be mailed to: College of Veterinary Medicine, Office of the Dean, 4461 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4461
Cassandra J. Scott
