Shayna Teijido, a UF nursing senior, died Monday due to complications involving blood clots in her lungs.
She was just shy of her 22nd birthday.
Ryan Arens, a UF journalism senior who knew Teijido though the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, said she was such an integral part of the fraternity that it is going to be hard without her there.
“She had such a passion for helping other people,” said Arens, who is the newly elected president of the fraternity.
Teijido had been a member since spring 2008.
She would have graduated at the end of this semester with a degree in nursing, which he said shows her dedication to caring for others.
Arens said she volunteered a lot of her time at places like Gainesville Pet Rescue and Noah’s Endeavor, a program for children mostly with disabilities to do recreational activities.
Rob Klaasen, another member of the fraternity who organizes volunteers with Gainesville Pet Rescue, said she had the same problem as a lot of other students have who volunteer with the cats and dogs.
“She’d go play with the animals and wanted to take them all home.”
Arens said that her dedication was matched by no other.
In the fall semester alone, she had more than 100 hours of volunteer work, more than any other member of the fraternity.
“A lot of our events are optional,” he said. “But Shayna was at every one.”
Klaasen described Teijido as very friendly, warm and always there to help out.
When he heard what happened to her, he was shocked.
“It’s weird when you lose someone and you try to remember the memories,” he said. “And you realize that they’re not going to be the same.”
A vigil was held by her fraternity Monday night. About 100 people attended holding candles in a circle on Turlington Plaza remembering their friend.
At the vigil, she was compared to Martin Luther King Jr., because of her passion to help others.
Arens said it is going to be weird this semester with her absence.
He was used to seeing her everywhere at everything, always caring.
“It won’t hit any of us until we’re out there in a week without her.”
