"Garlic in Nail Polish"

By, Sonia Arteaga, PROMISE Peer Mentor, Graduate Student, Department of Psychology, UMBC

A. Sachs said, “Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.”

Jessica loved life and lived fully.

One of the many things I remember about Jessica is garlic in nail polish. The last day I saw her we were sitting next to each other during summer advising. In between advising 17 year olds that they should not take 16 credits of advanced science credits their first semester, Jessica was giving me manicure tips. She told me that the secret to strong healthy nails was to crush pieces of garlic and place them in your nail polish. She showed me her beautiful nails with a proud smile. I was impressed and thankful for the great piece of advice.

All of us at PROMISE, were impressed and thankful for Jessica. She came from a small town in Puerto Rico. She had a dream and she was determined to pursue it. She shared with us her journey from her small, tropical town in warm sunny Puerto Rico to the harsh cold realities of Boston. She had moved to Boston to try and get more experience before applying to graduate school. I remember her telling us that during that first winter all she had was a mattress and a couple of other items, but that she was determined to make it. Within time, she was a step closer to her dream, she was moving to Maryland and starting graduate school. At UMBC, she was determined to mentor and reach out to as many student as possible. You could always count on Jessica to be at Promise events and to actively recruit others to join her.

Whether it was asking insightful questions at a seminar, dancing at social events, sharing stories, explaining her research, listening to others, lending a helping hand, or simply giving advice about nail polish, she did it all with an exuberant heart and an infectious smile. Her faith, family values, love of education, determination, enthusiasm, warm-heart, openness, and strength impressed us all over and over again. She nurtured everyone and everything. She loved all creatures from the squirrels on campus to her family and friends. She treated everyone equally, and was sure to greet everyone with an open heart and even more with an open conversation. She loved to talk and share life.

We are thankful for the time we spent with her. For her stories about Puerto Rico, her vibrant spirit, her love for life, we are thankful.

We all know of her great accomplishments, her scholarly work, her passion for public speaking, her boundless energy, but it was those little moments that made will stay with us forever. A quick smile, a kiss on the cheek, a hug, a laugh, or advice about nail polish. It was these little moments that made her so special.

Shahza Somerville, a PROMISE Peer mentor shared some great words. She said, “God doesn’t want the loud annoying people with him, he wants the good people.” Jessica was an amazing angel among us. And though she may physically be gone, her spirit will always be with us.