Sending Love and Support
Photo taken by Megan Silva
Pacific community gathers to support students injured in car accident.
At 6:30pm on February 3rd, there was standing room only in the Vereschagin Alumni House as the Pacific community gathered in support of Angelina Sun and Daniel Lee, and the other three students involved in Saturday’s early-morning car accident. All students involved were pre-dentistry students.
During President Callahan’s speech regarding the incident, he emphasized that the crash was not the students’ fault. Three cars were involved in the collision, which was caused by a driver running a red light. According to Vice President of Student Life Maria Blandizzi, everyone was taken to different hospitals. “One thing people have been asking is if the students are ok, if they have been receiving medical care. Angelina and Daniel have been receiving trauma care at San Joaquin General Hospital, which is about seven miles from here,” says Blandizzi. The other three students have already been released, and two were in attendance at the gathering.
The Student Life team began to provide support for the students, their families, and friends, at around three in the morning on Saturday. Blandizzi states that at this time, a need for Crowdfunding for medical bills has not yet been identified, but that the students have received a full-tuition reimbursement for this semester.
In addition to showing support for the students involved in the accident, the team from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) was present to address the crowd, and provide one-on-one assistance during the event. Director Destiny Robbins instructed students to “take care of one another during this time, but also to take care of [themselves].” Students were advised that there is no right or wrong way to feel during this time, and to be mindful that feelings can manifest in physical ways like inability to sleep or loss of appetite. CAPS provides same-day appointments on weekdays from 12:00pm-4:00pm, and 24/7 on-call support is available at 209.946.2315.
The gathering at the Alumni House was a powerful display of how close the Pacific community is. Food was ordered for 150 people, but the number of classmates, teammates, residence hall neighbors, and professors in attendance was far beyond that. Students clustered around tables to create “get well soon cards” to be delivered to Angelina and Daniel, and also to be there for each other during a difficult time. “I have full confidence that they will pull through,” says Callahan, “but they will need your support. Not just yesterday, today and tomorrow, but after.” Looking around the crowded room, it was clear that they, and the rest of the Pacific community, have an incredible support system.
For professional mental health support during this time (or any!), reach out to CAPS and connect with our CARE team (caremanagers@pacific.edu) who are here to support and help you process. 24/7 on call support is also available by calling 209.946.2315 x3.