Dear RISE community,
It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to inform you that one of our beloved students, Ixchel Gomez passed away on Tuesday, November 30th. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Ixchel. She has been a part of the RISE family since her initial enrollment at our APCH campus in December of 2019. Throughout her time at RISE, Ixchel worked onsite and virtually to make progress towards her goals as she juggled multiple responsibilities. Ixchel brought great love and light into our RISE community. As a young mom, scholar, family member and friend, Ixchel is a true representation of an empowered citizen and has inspired our RISE community.
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.
If you are interested in providing further support to Ixchel’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.
Ixchel’s GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-expenses-for-ixchel-gomez
Sincerely,
Erin Whalen
Executive Director/Principal
Da Vinci RISE High School
