I met Aliya when I was in my first year of 6th form. We had a lot in common and we just different enough to avoid too much conflict. We lost touch when she left for university at the end of that year. I've been looking for her on Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else for the past three years. Today was the first time I'd heard anything about her since then.

The news wasn't—isn’t—good.

No one knows why yet but around 1:00 p.m. this afternoon, she committed suicide by jumping over the edge of the Kaieteur Falls in our native Guyana.

The captain of the airplane said, "She ran screaming at the top of her lungs towards the falls and jumped off." I’m shocked because this was the absolute last thing I expected to hear about her. She was beautiful, so brilliant and so full of potential. I mean this; I’m not just saying it because she’s dead. She was an awesome person when I knew her. I don’t know what happened but I’m so, so sorry it did. All I can think is: What would drive her to do this?

Although, at least, she got to fly a while. It was a majestic death but an utter and incomprehensible tragedy.

Rest in peace, Aliya.