DAILY LOBO new mexico
FINALS WEEK May 4-8, 2015 | Volume 119 | Issue 153
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
Spring class of 2015 A peek at some of UNM’s grads, and how they got here
BRIANA HILLARD
MATTHEW GRANT
Sorority sister loved all Man inspired confidence By Matthew Reisen UNM will award posthumous degrees to Briana Hillard and Matthew Grant, both of whom died in a car accident on Nov. 20. Briana Hillard started her college career at UNM in August 2011, having graduated from Sandia High School in May earlier that year. “Briana was the third generation of our family to attend UNM; however, no one in our family loved UNM more than our dear daughter, Briana,” said Michael Hillard, Briana’s father and, until recently, a psychology professor at UNM for a quarter century. “She was extremely active in her sorority and participated in numerous campus activities. Her entire adult life, as it turned out, was deeply involved with campus life.” Marina Hillard, Briana’s mother and herself a UNM graduate, said Briana majored in business administration at the Anderson School of Management, with a minor in psychology. Briana had also been in the Pi-Beta-Phi sorority since her freshman year. She never missed an opportunity to volunteer and get involved around campus with the sorority, Marina Hillard said. “She not only loved life, but she really loved UNM,” she said. “She took everyone in, embraced everyone.” Briana had many friends on and off campus, and especially loved music, from country to hip-hop. “Briana loved music so much she performed in Greek Spring two years in a row during her stay,” Marina Hillard said. “It was fun to see her up on stage.” Michael Hillard said Briana’s time at UNM deeply influenced his daughter. “She made dear friends and became an independent young woman here at UNM. She loved her family and friends and was a peaceful, kind, gentle soul,” he said. “I do not ever recall her saying anything even the
Briana Hillard
Courtesy Photo
least bit negative about anyone.” A quote on Briana’s Pinterest page displays the kind of person she was and how she lived: “Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.” On graduation day, Briana’s mother and friends will be handing out pink leis to honor her memory. Many of Briana’s friends will be wearing pink leis at graduation, and anyone who wants to join in can get one outside WisePies Arena beforehand. Marina and Michael Hilliard said they are grateful for the University’s efforts and initiative to award a posthumous degree to their daughter. “The UNM community has really come together on her behalf. The posthumous degree is so deeply appreciated and honors her deep affection for the school,” he said. “We hope all of the graduates remember Matt and Briana as they pursue their goals.” Matthew Reisen is a staff reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
Matthew Grant
Courtesy Photo
By David Lynch Whether he was walking across campus or going to the store to pick up groceries, Matthew Grant took it upon himself to turn everything into an adventure. That kind of confidence — the kind that saw the potential in every situation — was Grant’s most telling trait, said Gage Gutierrez. Gutierrez, a friend of Grant’s since they met each other in Sigma Alpha Epsilon their freshman year, said that poise rubbed off on him and anyone else who knew him. “Hanging out with Matt, you always felt more confident and it always seemed to end in a good time,” Gutierrez said. Most students typically dread the idea of going to school, but Grant wasn’t like most students, wearing bright clothes that reflected his mood and power-walking to class, as excited about his education as he was about hanging out with friends. “You could always spot him out walking around campus because he always had his bright red backpack and his Ray Bans,”
Gutierrez said. “Whether he wanted to go out on a wild spring break or stay up 36 hours to study before finals, he did it 100 percent and got the most out of it.” Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that Grant was studying criminology, with aspirations of going to law school — a perfect destination for him to turn that confidence into a living. However, Grant, along with senior Briana Hillard, was killed in a car accident in November. He was considered to be in excellent academic standing, another byproduct of his unwavering confidence, and will receive a posthumous bachelor’s degree in sociology, according to a University press release. Grant’s parents, Myron and Linda, said they are proud and humbled by the way UNM is remembering their son. “He loved being a member of the UNM family,” they said. “He would encourage his fellow graduates to live life fully.” Grant did just that on a daily basis. He was social and outgoing, but also managed to strike that delicate balance with school work, putting the same magnitude of effort into academics as he did outside the classroom. “(Grant was) one of those guys you were almost a little jealous that he could do both so well with balancing his school and social life,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said there’s no way someone could fill the void that Grant has left and make the same kind of impact that he made. “If you can imagine how fun it is to be around a person who lived a full life and crammed all the laughs, smiles and good memories into just 21 years,” Gutierrez said, “that is Matt Grant.” David Lynch is a staff reporter at The Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo. com or on Twitter @RealDavidLynch.