Fond Farewell: Communication Sciences and Disorders Major Gabriela Sanchez

Senior Gabriela Sanchez, a communication sciences and disorders major, passed away July 5. She was 26.

Born December 19, 1993, she enrolled at Chico State in fall 2018, and quickly made an impression on her professors and was loved by her peers, who described her as a true friend and said she brightened any room she was in.

“Gabriela was a very compassionate and kind individual who had a promising future,” said professor Susan Steffani. “She had a ready smile for all and a desire to help others.”

Kenyan Martin, the director and internship coordinator at the Clinic for Communication Disorders, said that although Sanchez was quiet in class, she was a hard-working student and demonstrated great talents as a speech-language pathologist.

Jessika Lawrence taught Sanchez in several classes and noted that she had been accepted into the first cohort of the University’s speech-language pathology licensure pathway this fall.

“Gabby was a bright student who was finding success in our major,” Lawrence said. “She was a collaborative student who got along well with everyone in her cohort.”

Services were held in Hughson and Modesto in July. The University flag will be lowered Wednesday, October 21, in her honor.