CONGRESSMEN VISIT TO DISCUSS DACA
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Monday, Jan. 29, 2018
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Fresno State’s Award-Winning Newspaper
ANA ALCANTAR
She was her best friend After losing her, she wants to speak up for others
Alejandro Soto • The Collegian
Students gather at Fresno State’s Free Speech Area for the candlelight vigil of student Ana Alcantar on Jan. 25, 2018
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By William Ramirez @willoveslakers2
I
t’s a difficult task for Anyssa Molina to understand why her best friend did what she did. Fresno State student Ana Alcantar, 21, died on Jan. 17. A spokesman from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said her death was by suicide. “We don’t really think about that topic until it happens next door,” Molina said. Alcantar’s brother told her friends during a vigil held last week in the Free Speech Area to cherish their loved ones. Life is “too short, too precious, too delicate,” he said. “One day we’re fine and the next we might not even be here,” Rodrigo Alcantar said. “Let’s just take our time and talk to our parents, talk to our family, our friends, and never hold any grudges.” In their most recent data, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists suicide as the No. 2-leading cause of death among those between the ages of 10 and 24. It’s a topic now firmly estab-
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What I want to do now for myself, is now learn what can I say and what can I do for the next person that comes to me with the same struggle —Anyssa Molina, Friend of Ana Alcantar lished in Molina’s mind, she said. And she said that even those who did not know Alcantar, or who have never met someone dealing with suicidal behavior, needs to become more aware of the dangers of mental illness. “I want to spread awareness that mental illness can happen to anyone, even the happiest person,” Molina said. Alcantar’s struggles during her life are just as important as Alcantar’s joy, Molina said. During the vigil, Molina shed tears for Alcantar. She considered her a sister more than a
Anyssa Molina (left) Ana Alcantar (right)
friend, she said. They had been middle and high school friends and became roommates when they transferred to Fresno State in 2014. “At this point, there is a hole in my heart where she laid, and all I can do now is fill that hole with memories that she had,” Molina said during the vigil. Tears streamed down her cheeks. At times, the two ate ice cream together to cope with “boy problems” and other times they
Courtesy of Anyssa Molina
drank orange juice out of wine glasses to feel “fancy,” Molina recounted. Those memories pierced through the sadness of the vigil and brought brief moments of laughter from those who gathered to honor Alcantar. “I think it’s most difficult for me because I was there at the low points before everything happened. I was there every single day with her, in the same room with her,” Molina said. “It’s hard
for me to not look back at all the conversations that we had leading up to this point.” Molina said she has already learned so much through her grieving process. Some of that learning includes coming to terms with knowing that she could have done more for Alcantar. “You need to have friends in both areas. You need to have friends on both sides of the spectrum,” Molina said. “I just want to say, like, it’s important to not be afraid to share your struggles.” Alcantar was a selfless person, according to those who knew her closely. She was so giving that she often forgot to ask for help with her own problems, her friend said. Alcantar’s colleagues at the university say her work and infectious personality were commendable. Her work ethic was strong during her time with the Educational Opportunity Pro-
See ANA ALCANTAR, Page 6