A 20-year-old junior from Smithfield, Nicole White originally came to Virginia Tech planning on studying veterinary science. Her love of animals flourished in the form of volunteering time to hometown horse stables just to lend a hand. Among friends, her giddiness toward dogs, of which she cared for two, showed her love for animals.
This loving passion for the cuddly creatures of the world lives on today as her family asks that, "in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any animal shelter of your choice," according to Tech's website dedicated to those victimized.
Yet, despite her immediate intentions, she ultimately decided to double-major in international studies and German. In fact, close friend, and fellow redhead, Melanie Weis, remembers Nicole constantly grinding at her German homework. While the two shared hair color, Melanie also remembers Nicole was always up for sharing her time.
"There's been several times when something has happened to me and I just really needed someone to talk to and someone to listen; and she would," Weis said. "One night I needed a place to stay and she let me sleep in her bed. She wasn't judgmental. She'd give me advice that wasn't judgmental. And, she would go out of her way to introduce me to everyone she knew. I think redheads stick together. I'm going to miss her."
To the young men and women that knew her, Nicole was everything you could ask out of a friend: especially dependable. The Roanoke Timesrecently documented her famously friendly demeanor as a lifeguard at the Luter Family YMCA in Smithfield as well as the Gatling Pointe Yacht Club in suburban Newport News.
A devout Baptist, she taught Sunday School at Suffolk's Nansemond River Baptist Church of her family's faith. And, these are only a few of the many integral cogs defining Nicole's life. At the same time, Virginia Tech students may have known her as a waitress at local pizzeria favorite, The Gobbler.
While working there, several employees recognized her dependability, including general manager, Ryan Payne, who remembers Nicole working to help out in a pinch. "She was a good worker," said Payne as if it meant everything in the world. "I mean, she would come in to work when others couldn't and just help with anything. She was a quiet girl at times and, other times, she just couldn't stop laughing. I remember she really liked my pepperoni rolls. She was a genuinely good person."
Although there isn't any easy way to have life come to an end, there are those that remember Nicole from her very beginning. The characteristics and events which punctuated her time in between have been and will be shared by those who knew her best.
