NEWS

More than a hundred students showed up Tuesday evening, Nov. 30, to a memorial held for Bryana “Breezy” Coleman.

According to Coleman’s brother, the freshman biology major passed away five days earlier, on the evening of Thanksgiving Day, at home. He explained that she had been suffering from a blood clot in her hip after she fell in late October in the Glades Park Towers (GPT) dorm, where she lived. The clot came as a result of previous problems Coleman had with her hip, which she broke in fourth grade. The memorial service was held behind GPT, where a stage was set up for the occasion.

It kicked off with an original song titled “Raven,” by Jake Bennett, Coleman’s close friend. The song was about a dying man talking to the woman he loved.

“It was the best way for me to show Bryana how much she meant to me,” Bennett said. Near the end of the piece, the freshman chemistry major sang, “I know she will carry me home.”

Next, candles were passed around with pieces of paper to protect against dripping wax. On the papers was written: “Rest in peace, Bryana.” Tissues and green ribbons were also available — the ribbons were worn in support of Coleman.

After Bennett was done with his song, Dean of Students Corey King walked up to the makeshift stage and addressed the students, thanking them for being a part of what he called a “celebration of life.”

“Every person on our campus matters,” King said, adding, “She’s left a legacy on us all. Bryana, we thank you. Amen.”

Ian Dunne, who had met Coleman in the beginning of the fall semester and had been friends with her since, didn’t know about Coleman’s passing until he returned to campus on Sunday, having spent the holiday with family in Coral Springs.

“Her death didn’t hit me until this vigil. She’s a great friend and I will never forget her,” Dunne said through tears, a burnt out candle in his hand.

Different speakers were asked to come up and say their piece about Coleman, all moderated by her best friend Jonathan Jackson.

“She was the best friend a person could have,” Jackson said. “She would still support me and my work even when she was hurt.”

One of the speakers was Tyler Hodges, a freshman communication major and Coleman’s suite mate.

“[Coleman] suffered a lot. But she doesn’t want us crying; she wants us to be strong,” Hodges said on stage. “She was like my backbone here.”

Among those attending was Coleman’s older brother, 26-year-old Fred Self, who explained Coleman’s nickname, “Breezy.”

“When she was young, she was always running around in the breeze, getting into everything and anything,” he said. “She always tried to meet as many people as possible.”

Coleman was very active in the community and had volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club in Leesburg, Fla., where she comes from, Self explained.

The day before the vigil, Self got a tattoo commemorating his younger sister. In it, Coleman is pictured sitting in a rose — her favorite flower — above a banner reading her name and the question: “Why do we lose the ones we love to the heavens above?” Underneath the tattoo is a dove, Coleman’s favorite bird.

Self had this to say to the FAU student community: “Thank you. Remember her for who she was. Make a difference, like she did and like she would continue to do if she could.”

If you would like to give a donation in Coleman’s name, go to the front desk of GPT. To write on Coleman’s door, go to the fifth floor of GPT.