Family and friends mourn the loss of Anastasia Hirsch, a 19-year-old sophomore business major from Melbourne, Florida.
Last Wednesday, Hirsch was a passenger in a vehicle that local authorities say may have hydroplaned and crashed into another vehicle during a thunderstorm in Indialantic, Florida. Two other persons in the vehicle were seriously injured.
“She made the dean’s list, the honor roll, everything,” Cliff Hirsch, Anastasia’s father told Florida Today. “We loved her dearly and we’re just in shock. How does this happen?”
Although her time at the university was short, many who knew her cared deeply for her.
“She just genuinely cared and was very passionate about others,” said Drew Rowell, 21-year-old engineering senior from Madison, Mississippi.
Rowell said he hadn’t seen Hirsch since weeks before final exams.
“She was a diligent worker, so she focused on her exams,” he said. “I loved her. We miss her like crazy. It’s no easy way to deal. We would give a lot of things to get her back.”
Hirsch was a member of several honor societies and studied Mandarin Chinese at the university. She was recently accepted to the Flagship Chinese program. She planned a future career in international business.
“Anytime we lose a student it’s a tragedy,” said Melinda Sutton, assistant vice chancellor of Student Affairs. “Situations like this allow for us to come together and show the strength of our community.”
There has been an outpour of support from the Ole Miss community on social media since the news of her passing.
“Anastasia was a wonderful and beautiful addition to our sisterhood and she will be greatly missed,” members of the Delta Sigma chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority posted on Facebook. “We live for each other.”
Hirsch’s sorority sisters described her as “living life to the fullest with a lot of love.”
Hirsch’s family and sorority sisters have created a donation fund in her remembrance. All proceeds will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House charities, which serves children ad families around the world through programs promoting health, healing and togetherness. www.gofundme.com/anastasiahirsch
