Recently, a SJHHS student returned home after going missing for ten days. During this time, members of the community came together to search for the student, support her family, and spread the word about her disappearance. 

The Express interviewed several of the student’s friends while she was still missing, all of them making it clear that she is loved and was missed greatly. 

“We all miss her. And she needs to let someone know that she is okay.”

“Everything is going to be okay when she comes home. We just want to know that she is safe, even if it’s just a simple message over text to know that she’s okay. We can figure everything else out later.” 

“I like her so much. I just want her back. I just want to know that she’s okay. She’s amazing. It’s kind of hard to put it into words.” 

“I go around Ladera looking for her sometimes and I remember driving past certain things and being like ‘oh, I remember being there with her that night or I remember doing that’, so that’s hard.” 

“Sometimes I’ll be talking to my friends and something will remind me of her, and it makes me miss her even more.”

“We all want her back and we all miss her a lot. But, as long as she’s safe, that’s all that matters. Doesn’t matter where she is, doesn’t matter who she is with right now, if she’s safe and she knows she is safe and in a good situation, that’s all that matters. And we all want her back of course, but it’s whatever is best for her right now.” 

Many of the student’s friends and classmates posted daily on Instagram, creating more awareness about her disappearance and doing whatever they could to help get the word out. 

A prayer gathering was also hosted one night, bringing the community together to pray for the student and her family. The gathering was filled with love, people hugging one another and being hopeful that the student would soon return home. 

The community’s prayers were soon answered when the student came home a few days later. However, this story isn’t just about a student who went missing – it’s about a community that came together to help a family get their child back home. 

When she returned home, Facebook flooded with posts of excited and relieved individuals sharing that the student was home and safe. 

It’s comforting to know that in a time of uncertainty, the community stands strong together and families care for more than just themselves, but one another.