‘Brokenhearted’: Community honors student

Over 100 people — classmates, teachers, school principals and superintendent, families — gathered around the Rappahannock County Elementary School gazebo last Thursday for a candlelight memorial in remembrance of Jorge Alfredo Hernandez Velasco, a 13-year-old student who tragically died June 4.

The service was filled with prayer and reflection on Jorge’s life. Teachers, family and classmates stood in front of the crowd and shared fond memories.

Jorge’s pre-k teacher, Tiffany Montague, reflected on his time in her classroom, and said he never lost “that contagious smile.” Teary-eyed, she shared a Bible passage, Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.

“And that’s the best way I can describe it — ‘brokenhearted’,” she said. “No parent or teacher ever imagines holding a service like this.”

Jorge’s sixth and seventh-grade teacher Michelle Jarrett said: “He was just so sweet. He wanted everyone to like him … I do have hope, knowing that my daughter, Neveah, is also in heaven. And when I heard about Jorge, all I could think, is that I know my daughter welcomed him with open arms,” she said.

At the end of the memorial, candles were lit and final prayers were said, with School Board Chair Wes Mills leading the group in reciting The Lord’s Prayer.

“Thank you with all of my heart, from me and my family,” Jorge’s father, Martín, said at the conclusion of the memorial before sharing a memory of Jorge. “We don’t have a way to repay all of the things you’ve done for us.”