Sabrina Navaretta had an infectious smile and a love for life.
The University of Delaware freshman “knew who she was and enjoyed everything that was afforded to her,” her mother Mara Schweitzer-Navaretta wrote on Facebook.
The 19-year-old, originally from Woodbury, New York, was killed in a car crash near UD’s campus on the night of April 28, according to the Newark Police Department. Five other people were also injured in the crash.
BACKGROUND:Police identify woman killed in 2 car crash in Newark late Friday
Navaretta was studying business management at UD, according to her LinkedIn, and was an honors student.
“As we collectively mourn the loss of a fellow student, please know we are all here for each other as a UD community,” UD President Dennis Assanis wrote in a university-wide email sent the day after Navaretta’s death.
He said that the university is working to provide more student support, and representatives from Student Life met with students living in Navaretta’s residence hall and members of her sorority.
‘A whip-smart delight’
Navaretta was on her way home from Airband − a dance competition at the end of UD’s Greek Week − on the night of April 28, multiple UD students and parents wrote on Facebook.
She had performed Cinderella at the competition and “did amazing,” said one woman who watched the performances.
Navaretta joined Phi Sigma Sigma this spring, where her sorority said she “made a lasting impact on (the) sisterhood and in the lives of (her) fellow sisters.”
“Her friendship and infectious spirit will be greatly missed,” the sorority wrote on Instagram.
According to family friends, Navaretta loved spending time on the water, especially boating and jet skiing. She was close with her parents, too, and “never (had) a typical teenage girl attitude that you so often see.”
As a child, she was “a whip-smart delight,” according to teachers and others who knew her from a young age. She played soccer as a tot and grew into a “beautiful” young woman, multiple social media users said.
In high school, she played volleyball and was taught how to lifeguard. Her mother said she loved the Syosset High School’s course. She also had two siblings.
On social media, family and friends offered their condolences and shared memories of her.
One woman called her “pure light,” saying she was “always so kind and sweet with the sparkliest eyes and bright infectious smile.”
Another called her a “true ray of sunshine.”
Navaretta will be buried in private on Friday in Syosset, New York. Her family hosted a visitation on Thursday at a funeral home in the same town.
A UD spokesperson said that an obituary for UDaily is in the works. There is also a discussion of a campus memorial event, but the spokesperson said there are no concrete details yet.
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