Halfway through fall quarter, on Nov. 4, 2022, Ariana Arevalo-Martinez died at age 20 when a tree fell on her house as she was taking a nap. She was studying in SCC’s nursing assistant program when an accident robbed her of her life. Her untimely death comes as a massive shock to those in the community.

“Ariana was committed to her studies. She was well-liked by peers and faculty. We are grieving this sudden loss,” said Mary Burroughs, the dean of health occupations and nursing programs.

Her online obituary is chock-full of comments from her bereft loved ones.
Friend Emma Kerimova wrote “I had known Ariana since elementary school and she was the sweetest. Her presence was very open and welcoming. (…) She truly was a person that you could have so much fun with.”
Another friend, Sophia Lee, posted “She has impacted my life in so many ways. She was deep down to earth and encouraged us to keep going no matter what.”