Rosalynn Rose Rivas' sorority sisters and roommates remember her for her love of dance, zany knock-knock jokes and "Jeopardy" prowess.
But more than anything, Kim Mathews, a UF alumna, said she remembers Rivas for her unwavering smile.
Rivas, 22, of Tampa, passed away Aug. 5 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2006.
Before she died, Rivas crossed the stage at graduation in May to receive her bachelor's degree in advertising.
Sarah Rivas, Rosalynn Rivas' mother, said she was overjoyed to see her daughter in cap and gown.
"We were very happy because we knew that was a goal she wanted to achieve," Rivas said. "That put a finishing cap on her four years in Gainesville."
Those four years marked some of the best for Rosalynn Rivas, as she attended sorority date functions and Gator football games, her mother said.
But during the summer before her junior year, Rivas started losing weight and getting frequent headaches.
Mathews remembered that she started making clicking noises with her mouth, which turned out to be mini seizures, she said.
Her mother thought she had stomach problems, and Rivas visited the health center where they gave her prescription painkillers.
Doctors discovered the tumor after she suffered a severe seizure that sent her car across three lanes of traffic and into a tree at the intersection of Southwest 34th Street and Archer Road. A cut on her head prompted doctors to perform an X-ray.
Rivas had brain surgery in December 2007 and began chemotherapy and radiation.
Through it all, she avoided talking about her cancer with her friends because she didn't want to burden anyone, said her roommate, Ashley Mason, a UF graduate student studying elementary education.
"One time, I remembered that I started crying, and she wouldn't let me cry," Mason said. "She told me to toughen up."
The only time she would address her cancer publicly was at Relay for Life, where Rivas walked the survivor lap and participated as one of the event's top fundraisers, Mason said.
During the summer of 2007, Rivas went ahead with plans to study abroad in Australia, even though she was still undergoing chemotherapy.
"Rosalynn, I believe, always thought she was going to get well," Sarah Rivas said.
After Rivas' death earlier this month, friends attended her funeral and shared their favorite memories of her, most of which were humorous.
Rivas loved going by her gangster name, "Ricka Roz." She knew everything and anything pertaining to Greek mythology, and her favorite movie was "Mary Poppins."
But most of all, her friends and family remember her smile and her strength.
"In some place in time, I think she made an impression on a whole lot of people," her mother said. "Positive. Happy. Funny. That's Rosalynn in a nutshell."
