By Carolyn Mish and Sophia Qin
On Nov. 27, the Aragon community experienced a tragic loss when junior Felipe Miguel Contreras Chavez died by suicide.
Felipe is remembered as a kind, generous student. While reserved and quiet, he was considerate and helpful in the classroom.
“[Felipe] was thoughtful,” said U.S. history and ethnic studies teacher Steve Henderson. “He got along with others. I noticed he was engaged with members of his class during group activities and that was always nice to see.”
Felipe took both Foods and Nutrition and Culinary Arts. In the former, he developed his love for cooking, and is remembered for his attention to detail and patience in the kitchen.
“He was really good at baking,” said Foods and Nutrition teacher Jenna Meyer. “He was very precise and very detail oriented. He’d like to move at his own pace, which resulted in very beautiful work, because he wasn’t ever rushing.”
Meyer remembers Felipe fondly, recalling his generosity toward his classmates.
[Felipe] was thoughtful. He got along with others
“Last year, when we were making gingerbread houses, I told [students] that they could bring candy [to decorate] with,” Meyer said. “[Felipe] brought a big bag of candy and told me to share it with everybody, because he was really excited about the project. He was the only person who brought in any extra candy to share and it was just really sweet.”
Senior Dylan Esqueda, a classmate of Felipe’s in Foods and Nutrition, also highlights his selflessness and willingness to help others.
“He was a very hard worker,” Esqueda said. “He [would] always help us with the dishes and stay to help us after class even though he didn’t have to.”
If you or someone you know is suicidal, please talk to someone. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text “START” to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Additionally, StarVista is a local organization with a 24/7 crisis line, at 650-579-0350. Peer-to-peer counseling is available at www.sanmateocrisis.org.
