“Just a guy from San Diego trying to have fun,” is how Jay Zolina described himself on his Instagram page. The Cathedral Catholic High School student body and local community, however, viewed him as much more than that.

One year ago, hundreds of students gathered in the chapel, with heavy hearts, on Friday morning to grieve the loss of a friend to all.

This Friday, September 11, 2015, the CCHS community is commemorating a life that made a mark.

Zolina was considered a beacon of joy by his peers, making smiles happen left and right with his contagious enthusiasm and traveling ukulele melodies.

“Jay was one of the happiest and most generous people I’ve ever known, and he gave us the gift of laughter,” said Brianna Green, Zolina’s friend and neighbor.

Despite Zolina’s intangibility, the memories he made with friends and peers continue to touch hearts daily.

“He was the first person to introduce me to weightlifting, and he was my weightlifting partner,” senior Jordan Chang said. “Now, every time I workout I still have him going through my mind.”

Senior Victor Centera wears his black sweatshirt decorated with a white, cursive “J.” These sweatshirts were purchased by many students in support of the Zolina family.

“I wish Jay would’ve told someone, but we didn’t get that chance,” Centera said.

Zolina’s reputable kindness and happiness made the news of his passing a devastating shock to the community. Zolina’s passing serves as a reminder of the reality and severity of mental health and depression. The El Cid Staff would like to remind the student body of the various support groups on campus: Aevidum, Sturdy Wings and Families in Transition (FIT). You are never alone. 

Inspired by a common heartache, friends of Zolina crafted a devotion to carry on the happiness he exemplified, creating a hashtag with the words, “Live Like Jay.” On the anniversary of his death, students and the broader community remember to spread kindness and acceptance, and to be a friend to everyone – an unforgettable example that Zolina set.

“Can’t we ask,” Centera said, “ ‘’how are you?’ and mean it too? That’s the start to how we fix this.”

The CCHS community acknowledges the tragedy as a testament to the harsh reality that life is fragile.

“[The incident] made us more understanding of one another. People could be going through anything,” Chang said.

A year later, the words of former principal Mr. Michael Deely continue to resonate with the community.

“Let us focus on the joy he brought to us, in order to deal with the pain and the sense of loss we now feel,”  Mr. Deely said to Fil-Am Post.