Anna Burns gave so much to my son Niko and to our whole family in their 16 years on this earth.

From 1st to 6th grade, Anna and Niko had fights in sleeping bags, threw themselves against trees in the snow, made basement forts and played exuberantly.  Through Anna, we got to know Sarah, Stephen and Ian -- now some of our favorite people in the world.

In later elementary years, we would take Anna to Shakespeare plays and talk about them in the car afterwards.  During the pandemic, Anna was in my Zoom Shakespeare class, along with Niko, Cyrus, Soren, Cara, Nik, Julia etc.

And, most recently, over Labor Day weekend, Anna told me about their drive to become a scientist in order to do something about climate change.  "The politicians aren't going to do anything, so it's up to the scientists." they said. 

Anna inspired me to be brave and take a stand.  I will carry that with me always.

I admit that I have felt a little speechless the last few days. When I heard that Anna was hospitalized, I felt so sure that they would just pop back to our reality, say something funny, and go on with life with that big beautiful smile. I knew them as just a totally unflappable personality, so despite the facts, I still can't believe this tragedy. 

I had Anna in their 10th grade year as one of my yearbook ALP students. A lot of the formatting of the 2022 yearbook was their handiwork. I had them A-period, and so they always got to see how hectic the guidance office would get first thing in the morning. They were in my office in March of this year when our principal ran full speed past the office to break up the worst fight in our school's recent history; when we ushered other students out of the hall into the office, Anna didn't laugh or get upset or gossip about what they'd seen so far. When it was over, they seemed unphased and continued their work in the library. I always appreciated their poise.

Anna was just a gen of a human. Seeing all these pictures of them from their life, I bear witness to the growth of a truly special person. My deepest condolences to the family and loved ones. ❤