Coping with the loss of sophomore Xavia Pirozzi, the Pirozzi family and the JC community are coming up with many ways to honor her memory.

After Pirozzi’s passing, members of the National Art Honors Society (NAHS) came up with a way to commemorate her. They wanted to find some tangible way to keep her present around the school.  They have decided to plant a cherry tree on campus in her memory.

They chose a cherry tree for Pirozzi because of its symbolism in artistic works.  “A cherry tree is a symbol of sweetness of character,” NAHS moderator Bruno Baran said.  According to Baran, they are not sure when the tree will be planted, but they “were thinking the end of June, possibly next September.”

Sophomore Kayla Bynion is a member of NAHS and was a friend of Pirozzi’s.  “I think the whole idea about planting a tree for her is great, especially because it has a lot of symbolism.  Xavia was really sweet and kind and I think it’s perfect for her,” Bynion said.

Members of the Pirozzi family are also trying to keep their daughter’s memory alive at JC and around the community.  According to Campus Minister Patti Murphy Dohn, they hope to start a scholarship in her name for both JC and Pirozzi’s middle school, St. Joseph’s of Fullerton, where her four younger siblings currently attend.

According to Director of Annual Giving and Constituent Relations Laura Lang, the plans for the scholarship at JC are still in the works.  “We have been receiving gifts in Xavia’s memory, but the family has not decided yet on any guidelines [for the scholarship].  We still get new gifts every day, so we’ll probably sit down in early summer to make plans for the use of the funds,” she said.

Before Easter break, Murphy Dohn helped coordinate a gift for the Pirozzis from the JC community: a scrapbook with “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of prayer notes from students and faculty.

In addition to contributing physically to the scrapbook by writing notes, students and faculty also blessed the book for the Pirozzis. “We all extended our hands and blessed the scrapbook during that Holy Week Mass,” Murphy Dohn said.  The book was dropped off at the Pirozzi’s house the following Friday.

As another physical reminder, instead of asking for flowers for Pirozzi’s viewing and funeral, her parents requested that people either donate money to the school in her name or purchase tulips for the memorial garden that they plan to create outside of their home.

“Now people are really putting together creative ways to memorialize loved ones,” Murphy Dohn said.

Brianna Glase is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.