Alexandra Wynter’s life was honored by friends, family and community members with a candlelight vigil Monday afternoon.
About 50 people came to Trinity Lawn, many speaking of Wynter’s activism and compassion, before her life was tragically cut short at 28-years-old, from an act of domestic violence. She was focusing on earning her degree in molecular and cellular biology.
“She made a difference and that’s what I want her to be remembered for and the positive light that she was,” said her mother, Gema Larios, “I hope that everyone recognizes that and never forgets the impact she made.”
Wynter, originally from Los Angeles, first enrolled at Chico State in 2016, moved home and came back to complete her degree in Fall 2024. She worked at Enloe Health and planned to attend physician assistant school after graduating.
People who knew her said she made her mark as an activist for humanitarian, environmental and voting rights. She was a student director at Community Action Volunteers and Education, where she worked on numerous projects.
Her boss at CAVE, Ann Schwab, recalled Wynter’s enthusiasm for helping people. She got choked up as she talked about Wynter’s participation in Chico’s first-ever women’s march, held in January 2017. She went on to do homeless outreach after the pandemic.
“She was loved,” Schwab said. “She wanted to share what she had found at CAVE, which was the joy of giving back in service to others. She was out there handing out water, handing out food and making sure that people were taken care of. Alex put a lot into her short life.”
Wynter also worked to encourage voter registration. Years earlier, Wynters stood on the same section of Trinity Lawn and urged people to vote and take part in the political process, Schwab said.
Wynter’s sister, Natalie Wynter, expressed gratitude to those who came out.
“Grieving in general is always hard, so it’s always nice to come and hear other people’s stories,” she said.
The vigil was organized by members of the Black Student Union, who passed out purple candles and held a moment of silence. All those gathered said a prayer after people stood up one by one to share their memories of Wynter.
Chico State President Steve Perez attended the vigil and spoke of loss and shared advice from his own mother’s passing, which was to keep their memory as a blessing.
“It’s a terrible loss,” Perez said. “We need to make sure we are leaning on each other and supporting each other.”
Nadirah Sinker, Wynter’s roommate and fellow festival goer, shared that she and Wynter connected through music and dancing. Sinker remembers Wynter as being ambitious, driven, gorgeous and intelligent.
“I grew up with no family and she became a part of mine for a very long time,” Sinker said.
University officials issued Larios a certificate of completion for the courses Wynter took toward a degree in biological sciences, as Wynter was expected to graduate in Spring 2026.
Grace Payne can be reached at [email protected]
