In Memory of Will Kirkland

TYLER POTTENBURGH | OCT. 22, 2020 | OPINIONS

For the senior class of 2021, this year has been an anomaly. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting our lives in nearly every way, particularly at school, it has been difficult for many of us to get a grip on our new reality. Regulations change seemingly every week and we still have no idea how this year will conclude. However, on the night of Sept. 15, the most unexpected event that could take place happened. Our beloved classmate and friend Will Kirkland decided to take his own life. 

The emotions swept over not only the senior class but all students at Stanton College Preparatory School, as so many of us looked to Will as a constant, bright beacon in a world that can appear dark at times. While suicide is something we hear about almost every day, this was the first time for many of us that it hit so close to home.

Although Will was loved by each and every one of us, he still carried the weight of stress and pressure on his back everyday. Because we knew Will as such a joyful, energetic kid, we may have missed these signs of overwhelming strain and the need for mental help. Will had the support he needed, but perhaps he just never knew it. Although we can never bring him back, we can still prevent the repetition of Will’s fate in the future by looking for signs, and checking up on our loved ones, even if they do not exude the need for it. The best thing we can do in a time like this is be there for each other, and let others know they are not alone.

Will affected many of our lives in indescribable ways. This was made apparent at a candlelight vigil on Sept. 20 that was held in his memory. The night consisted of an abundance of both laughter and tears as hundreds of us shared our unique stories about our friend for over two hours. It was both beautiful and eye-opening to see how many people Will reached, not to mention how many lessons he taught us all in doing so. Two people even admitted he had saved them from committing an act similar to his own. One thing we could all take away from that night is that Will lived more in his seventeen years on this earth than most do in their entire lifetime.

Will must be remembered for the way in which he lived, rather than the way in which he left it. He lived each day as if it were his last, with a smile on his face and a contagiously exuberant attitude. He will be remembered for his goofy personality and his ability to light up a room the second he walked in. He will be remembered for his incredible talent as a diver and a relentless skateboarder, for reaching states for diving twice and performing kickflips on his favorite Santa Cruz deck with ease. He will be remembered for his little finger wave he would do when he saw you in the hallway, and for the gallon sized bag of goldfish he carried on him that was somehow always filled to the brim. But most of all, Will will be remembered as a friend to all, someone who unknowingly changed so many of our lives in such important ways.

We cannot believe Will is truly gone because a piece of him lives on forever in each one of us. As long as those of us who were fortunate enough to know him continue to share cheerful and vibrant memories, and as long as we never forget what he taught us about living life to the fullest within his own seventeen years of life, then it is certain that the memory of Will Kirkland will never die. His legacy is everlasting, and he is smiling down on all of us. 

Rest in peace, and long live Will.