Rhianna's Featured Posts

Four years ago, my high school lost an incredible teacher and assistant principal, along with her young daughter and unborn daughter.

I remember the day too clearly, it was a Day of Silence which many students were participating in and on our way out of school, Miss Bella stopped some friends I was with and told them she supported the Day of Silence and stuff. When she was driving soon after that, they were hit by a local doctor driving under the influence of drugs. The next day at school was unforgetable. I don't know that I've ever felt a stronger sense of community and togetherness than that whole week, but specifically that day.

Miss Bella was a wonderful woman. I never had her as a teacher but my best friend did and just loved her. Once she became assistant principal, she helped me and my entire group of friends with some bullying problems, and it actually helped and made a difference. I just remember her rushing around school all the time, even when she was sooooo pregnant, she was just all over the school taking care of everything. The semester that it happened, I was a pass runner in the office (instead of taking a study hall) so she and other faculty members were always around...so once she was gone it was just really weird and empty.

It's hard to look back and think about. It was a hard time, since it was the first death I dealt with without my family (since they didn't know her) but with the entire school. It was such a negative and sad occurance, obviously, but some of the positive things that came out of it were so great, I know she would have been proud about how we all handled everything and came together.