Students memorialize fellow classmate lost in tragic accident

Photograph by Sam Reeves.

By Sam Reeves, Social Media Director/Webmaster

On Sept. 6, Indian Trail High School & Academy lost a student, the Communications Academy lost a family member, and the Anderson family lost a son and a brother. Donovan Anderson was a senior in the academy who tragically passed away in Lake Michigan after attempting to get an interesting photograph for a class project.

Close friends and family were devastated, and while Donovan’s name had not yet been released to the public, they wanted to honor his memory. A memorial took place at Southport Park on Sept. 12. Many people gathered, bringing food, blankets, candles, and other comfort items. Multiple instruments had also been brought to the event, and people were playing music softly throughout the night.

The night, while being covered by a blanket of mourning, also had just the slightest spark of warmth. Torches were set up in the grass, candles had been scattered all over the perimeter: over the rocks, on the tables that had been set up, and even on the benches. They cascaded a soft glow as the sun set.

After sunset, lanterns were brought out and released into the night sky. While they floated away, everybody had gathered into a circle, and after the lanterns disappeared, speeches and stories were shared.

Jose Garcia, an IT senior and Communications classmate of Donovan’s, recalled one evening months ago where he consoled Anderson.

“I held him in my arms, patting his head and hushing him, telling him it was all going to be alright. He (Anderson) just said, ‘You really don’t know how much you mean to me’,” Garcia recalled.

“ ‘I love you like a brother, Jose. I would take a bullet for you no matter what. Thank you.’ ”

Garcia shared this story with The Pulse, explaining how that was the night that the two had brought their bond to a brotherly level, realizing they could trust each other with anything and everything.

Lia Berg, an IT senior and another close friend of Anderson’s also shared her thoughts,

“I will always remember the conversations me and Donovan had while we were driving to school or to and from work. He sat in my front seat countless times, ranting about anything he could think of. He was always so easy to talk to if you knew him,” Berg said.

“My front seat will always feel empty without him in it.”

That evening ended with the group releasing another set of lanterns into Lake Michigan and watching them float off silently. Many tears were shed and hugs exchanged. And while there were many people who didn’t know each other at the beginning, everybody left united as a new, family, brought together by their love for a shining light that was extinguished too soon.

Back at Indian Trail in the days that followed, staff and students continued to mourn the loss of Anderson.

“Donovan wasn’t the kind of person who was outgoing, he wasn’t sociable. You had to work to get to know him, but once you got to know him, it was worth it. He was funny, he was really nice,” said Ms. Christina Massicotte-Kollar, an Earth Science teacher, and one of Anderson’s favorite teachers.

“You just saw him as this quiet person who likes to keep to  himself, but really anyone you talk to the people that knew him, his close friend group, they all loved him,” she said. “They all believed he was funny and that he had this great, caring, and deep personality, he just didn’t show it off to everybody.”

This one’s for you, Donovan. Rest easy. Until we meet again.