JUST mere weeks following the death of lecturer Charmaine Henry, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, has been plunged into mourning again.

The tragic death, Wednesday night, of 23-year-old O’Shane Reid and his girlfriend 22-year-old Shanise Simmonds brought sadness to a number of past and present students of the university as well as administrators.

Reid and Simmonds died as a result of injuries they sustained when the vehicle in which they were travelling in collided with an oncoming Toyota Coaster bus on the Drax Hall main road in St Ann.

Simmonds had just completed her bachelor’s degree and was to graduate in November, while Reid was pursuing his master’s degree in communication at the institution.

Throughout his life at school, Reid had the opportunity of having leadership positions. At his alma-mater Camperdown High, he was prefect, deputy head boy, and captain of the chess team.

Being a student at UWI, his leadership skills were not overlooked. His first leadership post at the university was that of publications committee chairperson (PCC) for the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

After his tenure as PCC, he moved on to become the public relations officer at for the Mona Guild.

In addition to leadership roles at school and juggling schoolwork, he also made time for other activities. He was student assistant at the UWI’s Sport Department, and also did freelance public relations and marketing.

In 2014, he worked with Paul Campbell and Michael Fix to promote the local movie, Jamaican Mafia that starred both actors.

However, it was never a smooth ride for this young man. Like many other students, his main challenge was financing his tertiary education.

“One’s circumstances should never determine their life,” said Reid. As such he decided to take the route of borrowing from the Students’ Loan Bureau and completed his first degree in integrated marketing and communication.

“Be strong. You don’t know who you are inspiring,” was a mantra that Reid believed in and embodied.

In an interview conducted earlier this year with the Jamaica Observer, Reid encouraged the youth to find their purpose in life.

“… Blame can’t be casted on anyone for poor choices. There are many opportunities available. Don’t let your circumstances prevent you from flourishing,” Reid said.

Friends, colleagues and admirers of Reid and Simmonds yesterday took to social media sites Twitter and Facebook in an outpour of love and respect for the two as well as sadness at the passing.

The UWI, meanwhile, said it has noted with “sadness and regret the untimely passing” of two of its students on Wednesday.

“The university community commiserates with the families and friends of these students in their time of loss and hopes that they will find the necessary strength to cope in the days ahead,” the UWI said in a statement yesterday.

Fayval Williams, the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) caretaker for St Andrew Eastern, also expressed sadness at the passing of Reid and Simmonds.

“The news is heartbreaking for the not only me but the students at the UWI, especially those on the Guild. The outpour of grief on social media, especially from members of the Guild tells how sad the entire situation is. I empathise with them,” Williams said in a statement sent to the media yesterday.

Member of Parliament for St Andrew Eastern Andre Hylton also empathised with the friends and family who were mourning.