At 9:30pm on Wednesday, September 16th, a group of Cairn students gathered around the spirit rock by the flagpole. In memory of Katrina Weston, the students spray-painted the rock with the blue ribbon of colon cancer and a pair of wings while recounting memories and saying prayers. Diagnosed in early summer, Katrina fought a valiant battle against aggressive stage four colon cancer. However, the cancer continued to spread to her liver, and on Monday September 14th at 5:00am, after four months of battling with the cancer, Katrina passed away in the company of family and friends.

A graduate of Cairn with a double Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Elementary Education, Katrina touched innumerable lives of students, faculty, and staff. With a strong heart and a fierce faith, Katrina was an incredible advocate of Christ. She was always smiling, always reaching out to include everyone and always willing to listen and give advice. Katrina was an education major but she participated in many other parts of the Cairn community, such as working in the Masland Library and performing in Opera Theater. Katrina was never afraid to be herself and she was always confident in who she was. On September 19th, many Cairn students and alumni attended Katrina’s viewing and funeral to pay their respects and give support to her grieving family. One of seven children, Katrina leaves behind her passion, her heart and her love with her sisters and brother. Even after her passing, Katrina has inspired and influenced the hearts of many Cairn students, including the current freshmen group, whom she never had the pleasure to meet. She inspired them to reach out and to show God’s love with a smile.

When I first met Katrina, I was a brand new freshman. I worked mornings with her at the library, one of my first “real” jobs that didn’t deal with little children. Katrina always had a smile, and whenever a guest came in or out of the library, she would bid them hello and goodbye. She always made everyone feel welcomed, cared for and wanted. She was always there for me, guiding me and instructing me not only in my library duties but in my life. When times got tough, she would be there with her wisdom and strong faith. She made me, as a young freshman, feel like the coolest person in the world because she wanted to hang out with me, wanted to spend time with me and invested herself in me. Students all over Cairn held similar experiences with her and Katrina spread her love to anyone and everyone. She never let anything like class year or cliques stop her from making new friends and reaching out to all the students she met. Katrina was well-love, and she will be missed as a valuable part of the Cairn community.

In honor of her beautiful life and her incredible heart for missions, the Weston’s have established a $1,000 scholarship for students preparing for foreign missions, as Katrina desired to do. For anybody desiring to contribute to this fund, checks can be made out to Cairn University, with “Katrina Rebekah Weston Memorial Scholarship” in the memo line. These checks can be mailed to:

Cairn University
Attn: University Advancement
200 Manor Ave
Langhorne, PA 19047

Donations can also be made online at http://cairn.edu/give/online/ by indicating the name of the scholarship in the “Special Instructions” section.

Katrina influenced the Cairn community in ways that God has not yet shown to us, but even so soon after her passing, her love and kindness can still be seen. Cairn’s students will never forget the way that Katrina inspired them, reached out to them and impacted their small corner of the world in her own incredible way. As many forge through the next few weeks after this tragic loss, it is important to keep in mind that Katrina’s mission did not end with her death. Instead, it is carried on through the family and friends that she touched with her life. One day, we will all be united once more in the kingdom of Heaven.

For more information on Katrina, her obituary can be located here: http://griecocares.tributes.com/obituary/read/Katrina-Rebekah-Weston-102853888