Dear RISE community,
It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to inform you that one of our beloved students, Maximus Laguna, passed this week on Wednesday, May 26th. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Max. He has been a part of the RISE family since his initial enrollment at our Hawthorne campus in August of 2017. Monday, May 24th, marked a celebration of Max’s 20th birthday. Throughout his time at RISE, Max consistently brought a sense of joy, leadership, maturity, and warmth to our school family. He stood as a beacon of courage in our community, and his growth, development, and feedback were pivotal in shaping the foundation and evolution of RISE.
During this time, as the school community processes this tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counseling and bereavement services to all of our students and staff in need. Death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden. Many of us may be confronted with a variety of emotions, which might include shock, sadness, and confusion.
Students may have had no experience in coping with loss of a classmate or for some, this may be far too familiar. We are working to support our students through counseling by our Student Support Services Team (SSS) and our staff through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). If you feel that your students need to speak to a counselor or other adult, please do not hesitate to call the school and let us know.
Max will be honored in this year’s 2021 June graduation ceremony. If you are interested in providing further support to Max’s family, below you can find a GoFundMe link that will collect funds to be contributed to funeral expenses and any other needs the family has at this time. We know that a sudden loss can be jolting, for this reason we want you to know of our care and support.
Maximus’ GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/32f9c0f5
Sincerely,
