Loved Ones Hold Vigil In Memory Of UCLA Student Who Died Just Months From Graduation
WESTWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A man who overcame numerous obstacles to fulfill his dream of obtaining a college degree died Sunday mere months from graduation.
Students at the University of California, Los Angeles gathered Thursday night for a candlelight vigil in honor of Christian Guzman.
"I feel very grateful and lucky that he stumbled into my life. I will never forget him," Julian Albins Euler, a friend of Guzman's, said.
Guzman died this past Sunday in his sleep during a senior trip with members of the Posse Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization that links students together for college success. CBS2 profiled the group two years ago.
"Posse it truly is a family in the best sense of the word," said one student at the vigil.
Friends and family say Guzman faced many challenges but never complained. Confined to a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy, he even inspired his own mother.
"He told me that there are no obstacles, only solutions," Maritza Guzman, his mother, said. "He never gave up."
Alfredo Hernandez, another friend, said: "He's the perfect example of someone who we should all aspire to be."