Friend shares fond memories of student

Editor’s note: Dec. 3 was the one-year anniversary of the death of 18-year-old Liza Ruiz, of Lawrence, who was a student in the Journalism/Communication program at Northern Essex Community College. Her  close friend, Jada Ryan, is a current student in the program and she shared this remembrance of Ruiz:

Liza, Marielsy and Jada. The three of us were inseparable, we did everything together. We hung out everyday. Shopping, nails, hair, makeup, movies, anything. We were always together. We ensured we had every single class together throughout high school and college. Liza has taught me so much through our 5 years of friendship, she taught me how to love myself and to never let anyone ever make me feel less than what I was. She always reminded me of what I deserved and what I meant to her and the world.

She taught me a lot about clothes, thank god. I remember she started carrying purses, and I asked her “Liza, why do you have a purse, were teenagers, what could you possibly keep in there?” and she answered with “Bro, are you serious? These things are clutch, I keep perfume, lotion, hand sanitizer, extra makeup, my charger, my wallet, pens, anything I would need throughout the day.” Liza brought out a side of me I will never let go of. She brought out a very bubbly, outgoing and confident side of me that I never knew I had.

She always reminded me of my beauty, my humor and how genuinely nice she thought I was. She said to me ”I don’t know why you’re so shy, just be yourself with people.” Whether she realized it

or not she really helped me become who I am today. Everyone always told us we were the funniest three people to hangout with when we were together. The way we spoke, the conversations we had, our goofy dances and jokes we would make together not caring who was around, people loved what we brought out in each other. It was us just being us. I was always told we were so much alike and we knew it too.

I’ll never forget Liza and I’ll carry on her contagious energy she shared and the lessons I have learned from her. Liza was my person, she knew exactly how I felt before I spoke. We always had something stupid going on, but we’d just sit together and say “wow this sucks” and laugh it off together because we had each other. She was that one person that I never got sick of. I’m going to miss having her in my life, I know it won’t be the same but I know she’s looking over me. She was the person that helped me through every decision to make, even if it was “which shoes should I wear with this outfit?”

I’m just going to think about what Liza would say when I need help making a decision, or when I need her advice. I feel blessed to have known her, even more blessed to have had her by my side for so many years, blessed to have always been introduced as her “bestest friend ever” and blessed to have learned so much from such a bright and amazing soul. She truly was my soul sister. It was as if we were meant to be sisters. She made everyone around her light up. You could never be sad around her, she always knew the right things to say to reassure you that it’ll get better. I wish we had gotten the chance to grow up with her, turn 21 with her, see her have kids and do amazing things with her life because I know she would’ve done outstanding things.

She would have really shown everyone who she was and her ambition to prosper. I wish she got to see me have my first kid, get my first house, etc. She always said “I’m going to become famous and make you famous for being my best friend, so don’t worry about your career.” and we’d laugh. We were suppose to become adults drinking wine in the kitchen gossiping while our kids played together. I’m going to do everything we talked about doing with our futures, without her now, but for her. I know she wouldn’t want anything less. I gained a guardian angel and it’s not the same as having my best friend by my side. She always watched out for me in this life and I know she will be doing from up above. If I was heaven I wouldn’t want to wait for such an amazing soul either. I wish she could see the progress I have made within myself and my life. Now, she belongs to the stars in the clouds.