GOLDEN GATE XPRESS -- Gabriela Sanchez was a SF State student expected to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts.
On July 18, 2017, Sanchez died early in the morning when a semi-truck collided with her car while she was driving to her 4am shift at Starbucks in Los Banos, California. She was 23 years old.
She is remembered by family and friends as a passionate young woman who cared deeply for her family and fellow undocumented students.
Many of Sanchez’s friends called her a “Champion of Justice” who fought for the disenfranchised and was passionate about becoming a role model for her fellow undocumented students.
“She was a light in this world and my best friend,” said Ola Lulu Elatta, a friend of Sanchez. “She was there for me through so much and I knew she was going to do amazing things.”