The Barry community is invited to a memorial service for Krystal Birdsong today, Thursday, Oct. 2. The service will be held at 12 p.m. in Cor Jesu Chapel, there will be no daily Mass.
Krystal, a May 2008 graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences, current graduate student in the School of Social Work, and daughter of Leonard Birdsong, Associate Professor at Barry’s Law School, passed away Friday, Sept. 19. She was 25 years old.
Krystal transferred into Barry in the spring of 2005 and made the dean’s list every semester that she studied here. Her most notable accomplishment in addition to her stellar academic achievements was her amazing record of community service at the university, local and national levels. One of her professors, in an award nomination, wrote: “Besides being an excellent student, Krystal was an active advocate for Barry’s mission of social justice during her time at the university. She led several worthwhile causes and always got faculty and students involved. She was the president of Pax Christi and a dynamic member of the South Florida Campus Action Network (CAN) - the first and only consortium of student activists in South Florida.”
As an activist, Krystal used her experiences and knowledge to teach other students about the need for social change, and how to achieve it. During the 2007-2008 academic year she organized a pro peace/anti-war rally and the first annual human rights fair. She also had articles published in the “Barry Buccaneer” and the “Miami Times” on issues concerning human trafficking, gentrification and other social justice causes. Krystal was the recipient of both the Student Affairs’ President’s Award and the School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Award for 2007-2008.
A Memorial Mass and Celebration of Life service will be held for Krystal at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Orlando, Fla. The family encourages that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Barry University in Krystal’s memory.
On behalf of the Barry community, we offer our prayers and condolences to our colleague Leonard and Krystal’s entire family.
Krystal, a May 2008 graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences, current graduate student in the School of Social Work, and daughter of Leonard Birdsong, Associate Professor at Barry’s Law School, passed away Friday, Sept. 19. She was 25 years old.
Krystal transferred into Barry in the spring of 2005 and made the dean’s list every semester that she studied here. Her most notable accomplishment in addition to her stellar academic achievements was her amazing record of community service at the university, local and national levels. One of her professors, in an award nomination, wrote: “Besides being an excellent student, Krystal was an active advocate for Barry’s mission of social justice during her time at the university. She led several worthwhile causes and always got faculty and students involved. She was the president of Pax Christi and a dynamic member of the South Florida Campus Action Network (CAN) - the first and only consortium of student activists in South Florida.”
As an activist, Krystal used her experiences and knowledge to teach other students about the need for social change, and how to achieve it. During the 2007-2008 academic year she organized a pro peace/anti-war rally and the first annual human rights fair. She also had articles published in the “Barry Buccaneer” and the “Miami Times” on issues concerning human trafficking, gentrification and other social justice causes. Krystal was the recipient of both the Student Affairs’ President’s Award and the School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Award for 2007-2008.
A Memorial Mass and Celebration of Life service will be held for Krystal at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Orlando, Fla. The family encourages that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Barry University in Krystal’s memory.
On behalf of the Barry community, we offer our prayers and condolences to our colleague Leonard and Krystal’s entire family.