In the running for the Dean’s scholarship before her freshman year at Wichita State, Kaitlyn English decided that becoming a nurse was the career path she wanted to take.

Along with her passion for solving problems, loving to read and learn, and having a “never-back-down” personality, English gained a close-knit group of friends during her time at WSU that began in the fall 2011.

After passing away in a car crash during the early morning of Jan. 21, English’s friends and family mourn the loss of what they consider a brilliant, yet stubborn, mind.

English applied for the nursing program at WSU right after high school and was guaranteed a spot once her requirements were filled, said her mother, Tammi English.

“Kaitlyn was a fairly asthmatic and sickly child,” Tammi said. “Since she had to go through those problems, she decided that she wanted to be a nurse and care for other people.”

Along with being a part of the scholars program and nursing program, Kaitlyn also joined the Tri-Delta sorority.  

“I met Kate during the dean scholars program before freshman year, and we ended up sitting by each other pretty often,” said close friend Michael Schlapp. “We were put in rooms across from each other in Fairmount, as well, and were able to talk to each other a lot.”

Since meeting during the scholars program, Kaitlyn befriended Schlapp and Bobby Schmeidler.

“I met Kate through Michael, and we became great friends,” Schmeidler said. “She was a fun-loving, didn’t-say-no type of person. She also really loved fun facts. Any subject anyone ever talked about she would always pull up the Wikipedia page in the back of her head and know something interesting about a random topic.”

Schlapp and Schmeidler laughed at the memories of Vitamin-A fun facts she told them; they also shared her love and thirst for knowledge.

“She had a wealth of knowledge and was just somebody that loved to learn new things,” Schmeidler said. “With her schooling and nursing, you could tell she cared about people, but she also was really interested in the medical field in general and learning how to solve the actual problem.”

Along with her love of learning, reading and constantly knowing more, English was also a classic young adult who loved video games, traveling, adventures and competition just as much as anyone else.

“She was a brutally honest person,” Schmeidler and Schlapp agreed. “She wasn’t mean, she just wouldn’t beat around the bush when it came to anything. She would say what was on her mind whether it was necessary or not, but we all appreciated her for it.”

Laughing so hard they were hardly able to speak, Schmeidler and Schlapp reminisced about English’s favorite things.

 “What was her favorite food? Free,” Schlapp said, chuckling.

“T-shirts: free,” Schmeidler said. “I think she bought two shirts at SGC (Screwattack Gaming Convention) — ”

“Correction, I bought her those shirts,” Schlapp interrupted.

Through the laughing, the two decided that although English loved many things, free things were her favorite. Between laughing and thinking of all the memories, the two recalled the trips and adventures they took with English.

From going to Texas, Sedona and the Screwattack Gaming Convention, the three friends shared many new experiences and adventures together.

“Kate was just loved greatly by all of us,” Schmeidler said. “Everyone thinks their friends get annoying sometimes, and she did act like a goddess sometimes — in fact, I think referring to her as a ‘goddess’ would make her so happy — but she was such a loved individual.”

As Schmeidler and Schlapp finished each other’s sentences through the memories they have of English, one idea they never failed to agree on was how loved she truly was.

“She was a good person,” Schmeidler said. “She was honest and she didn’t judge you for who you are, and she had friends who loved her. We didn’t just like her, we loved her. She meant a lot to each of us, and to some, the world.”