To lose a child is always a tragedy. To lose one with such an especially bright and promising future is doubly heartbreaking.
Kiara Simone Wright, an 18-year-old senior and A-honor roll student at North Mecklenburg High School, died April 26, 2011 in an automobile accident.
Kiara, who was to have graduated in June, was driving her 1994 blue Mazda 626, an early graduation present from her parents. She was planning to enter Fayetteville State University to become an elementary teacher.
Kids were special
“She loved to work with children and help the elderly,” said her mother, Joyce Wright. “She learned how to be a responsible, respectful young lady and would do whatever she could to help others – and do it with a smile on her face.”
Fellow student Angelina Washington had known Kiara since the 9th grade. “She loved being around kids,” Angelina said. “She talked about being a teacher and treating kids with respect, because some of her teachers did not. She wanted to be a sweet, nice teacher.”
Kiara was on the February “A” Honor Roll list, her dad, Aaron Wright, said. She was on North Mecklenburg’s Step Team and loved fishing, riding motorcycles (like her dad) and going to the pool with her friends in the summer. She’d just returned Sunday from Spring Break at the beach.
“She was a people person,” Aaron said, “and she loved her friends. They hung around the house and did not want to go home.” He estimated that about 100 of her friends had stopped by the home. Kiara had 924 friends on her Facebook page.
Loved people
Friend Shanice Smith said, “She was always a nice person to be around.” Fellow senior Brandi Thomas enjoyed their laughs together. “She was my little sister,” Brandi said.
Angelina said that Kiara “loved hanging out with people, just being around people. If you hurt her, she forgave you and held no grudges. She was so sweet – she didn’t care who you are, she would invite you in and make you feel like a friend. She embraced everybody for whoever they are, and if you were in need, she was there for anything.”
She was there for sweetheart Xavier for more than three years – it would have been four years Sept. 11, he said.
“She helped me every day, just being there for me no matter what,” he said. “She was a loving girl, always happy and cared about everybody. We had talked about getting married.”
For Kiara, there will be no wedding, no college and no teacher’s certificate.
But there will be the memories of her time on this earth. Oh yes, indeed, there will be memories. And many, many tears.
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Editor’s note: This is our series called Lives That Matter. Written by Charlotte writer 
Gerry Hostetler, this weekly feature will profile individuals, recently deceased, who had a positive impact on those around them.
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