‘She went to Mexico convinced that she would change the world of education’

“We’re here with one classmate missing; we’re devastated,” said Sheila through her tears. She is one of the classmates of Claudia, the 21-year-old who was murdered last weekend in Cuautla, the city where she was on an exchange programme, in the state of Morelos (Mexico).

Those who knew her describe her as “brilliant and deeply committed”. “She went to Mexico convinced she would change the world of education,” they said through their tears.

Her classmates and friends embraced one another and wept inconsolably during the minute’s silence held at 11am on Monday at the Faculty of Education. Lessons went ahead as normal, but hardly any of her classmates turned up for their classes. Students from the other two groups did attend, however - Claudia was in Group B. Everyone received the news with disbelief.

“She was a very intelligent girl, a really good person and also very funny. She cared deeply about what she did and believed she was going to make the world a better place by giving her all,” said her classmate María.

Sheila, who also studied with her, echoed this sentiment. “We didn’t just share a class; we shared dreams. All of us here love children and have a deep sense of vocation. We want to change the world and improve education for our little ones. She went to Mexico for that very reason - to learn about other experiences - because we know that the system there is very different,” she added.

Like so many others, María found out from the media. She was the one who then told Sheila. "It was mad to find out like that," she said. They’re still in shock. "It just can’t be true that she’s gone - how could she not be alive? She’s never hurt a soul, she was always such a hard-working, studious and innocent girl. She really was an exemplary student," María said.

They put themselves in the shoes of the deceased’s family and weep inconsolably. "We, the students, are going to live in other places to gain more knowledge, to change the world as best we can. It could have happened to any one of us - being away on an exchange programme and our parents being told that we’ve been killed. It’s not right, it’s not right," they said.

A few metres away, another group of friends embrace each other through their tears. Today, they haven’t been able to go into class. This is going to be a very difficult academic year for them.

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