To Catalina Garcia, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Cathy, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Cathy really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.
Cathy was born on January 15, 1988 in Chicago, Illinois. Cathy was raised in Cicero, Illinois. Even as a child, Cathy had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.
Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Cathy was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Cathy simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Cathy, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Cathy's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Cathy graduated from J. Sterling Morton East High School in 2006.
Cathy reveled in her college years, at Northern Illinois University, where her imagination could run free. She was viewed by many of her classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Cathy was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. She was a jovial person who loved to share her passion for fun with others. But for Cathy, life was not a case of all play and no work. Cathy relished the task of putting her imagination to work in class. She was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. Her favorite course was English. Cathy's main interest was to enroll in the College of Education and become an elementary teacher.
Cathy had an endless appetite for new and different activities. She was always ready to join in the fun and add her flair and energy to an organization. Because of her personality, her humor, and her ability to get along with everyone, Cathy's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which she belonged. In high school, Cathy was a member of the Dance Club (Audacity), and MEBE. In college, Cathy joined the Mujer a Mujer Mentoring Program as a way to "give back" and serve others.
Cathy passed away on February 14, 2008 at Northern Illinois University, in Dekalb, Illinois. Cathy was killed in a terrible and senseless campus shooting. Her father Jacinto, mother Consuelo, sister Myra, and brothers Jaime and Joel survive her.
Cathy brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Catalina Garcia lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.
