ECSU Remembers Victoria Soto

9 March 2013

     ECSU held a memorial for alum Victoria Soto, the 27 year-old teacher who lost her life at Sandy Hook Elementary School as she was defending her students.  She pushed the first-graders into closets and cupboards to hide them from the gunman who had entered the school.  Vickie graduated Eastern in 2008.  The memorial was uplifting, sad, and beautiful.  Elsa Núñez, President of Eastern and Governor Dannel Malloy both spoke.  Rachel Schiavone, Vickie’s roommate at Eastern, and her sister Jillian Soto also spoke. 

      Novelist Wally Lamb read a poem by Howard Nemerov, and poet Daniel Donaghy read Testament, a poem he wrote in celebration of Vickie’s life and in memory of her sacrifice.  Coley O’Toole played and sang his song for Vickie, Angels on Earth.  Hari Koirala, Chair of the Education Department and Ann Higginbotham, chair of the History Department both shared their memories of working with Vickie.  Pianist Eric Ouellette, Guitarist Morgan Brown, The Eastern Flute Ensemble, the Trumpet Trio, and the Eastern Chamber Singers, conducted by David Belles provided music.  We walked out into the warm March sunshine and I suspect that everyone in attendance was a richer, stronger person as a result of having been brought together to celebrate the live of Victoria Soto.