'Fly high, Munira': Student trustee in York Region remembered for her leadership, positivity
CBC
A student trustee for the York Region District School Board will be "dearly missed" after she was killed in a car crash on the weekend, a friend says.
Munira Chakera, 18, died early Saturday in the crash in Whitchurch-Stouffville, according to Bruce Yu, a friend and fellow student trustee for the YRDSB.
A dump truck with a trailer collided with a small car at Warden Avenue and Stouffville Road at about 8:45 a.m., according to York Regional Police. Chakera and another woman in the car died at the scene. The dump truck driver suffered minor injuries.
Chakera was a student at Stouffville District Secondary School.
"Munira had such an energetic personality," Yu said on Wednesday.
"She was so incredibly passionate about the work that she did. And every conversation you had with her was so positive. She was always uplifting, humorous. She was somebody everybody wanted to be around. She made contentious discussions less contentious," he said.
"We had many great conversations late into the night."
Yu, a Grade 11 student, said he met Chakera when they were both campaigning for the position of student trustee. They worked closely together once elected, he said. She was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team and was an exceptional student, he said.
"She was my colleague. She was my friend. We were both elected in the spring of last year. We were just about to complete our terms together," he said.
Yu said a makeshift memorial has been set up near the crash site in her honour.
On Twitter, Yu wrote: "You were always a beacon of light and positivity, bringing youthful optimism everywhere you went. Thank you for everything and know that you have changed countless lives. The world is a better place because of you.
"Fly high, Munira. You will be dearly missed."
Louise Sirisko, director of the YRDSB, said on Wednesday that Chakera accomplished a lot in her life even though she was only 18.
"Munira was an incredible young woman," Sirisko said.
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