ENFIELD, Conn. — The CREC Civil Leadership high school held a vigil for 37-year old Megan Arsenault who died in a crash this past Thursday in Enfield.
This vigil brought out a lot of emotions as people remember their friend, their loved one, their co-worker, their teacher who all say was taken away too soon.
“I know we are all here to grieve, but more importantly we’re here to celebrate Meg Arsenault’s life,” said Jeff Larson who is the principal of CREC Civil Leadership High School.
A large crowd of people attended the candle-lit vigil to celebrate 37-year-old Megan Arsenault’s life.
Arsenault died after a crash in Enfield this past Thursday while she was riding her motorcycle.
RELATED: 1 dead in Enfield crash
All came to pay their respects to Arsenault’s wife and family who sat and listened as the community remembered one of their own.
“She was a five-foot-two Afghan combat veteran, teacher of the year, music teacher, LGBTQ+ celebrant, bad***. That was Meg,” said one of the speakers.
People say Megan, or more widely known as Meg, is truly something special.
“People don’t see what teachers do inside a classroom and on a daily basis and the relationships that a foster and make arsenal was unique in the fact that she can connect with any student that walked through her door,” said Larson.
This was reflected by current and former students of Arsenault who shared their memories. Here are some quotes from those who spoke on the podium.
“She would help me through so much in my life, so much more than I think anyone else has.”
“She was always there for her students. There were days that I didn’t want to do anything in her class; those days she would pull me aside when we were let out of class and she would talk to me, and it made everything better. “
“We tied up to the little rolling chairs with some duct tape and we pushed her down the hallway at first she was OK with it, but then after a while, you can see in her face you know she didn’t want any more. “
“I will forever thank this woman for the things that she has done for my daughter, and anyone who even saw her in passing was blessed to have at least seen her walk by…. She was everything”
“She has taught us not just to be kind, not just to be excepting but always be true to ourselves. “
People say the best way to honor her memory is to carry out her legacy and that is to, “Be kind. It’s by celebrating everyone -- because that’s what she did, she celebrated everyone.”
The school will be remembering meg by scholarships and other ways to memorialize and honor one brave woman that was Megan Arsenault.