USF community unites in grief at vigil for students

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

A winding line of University of South Florida students, faculty and administrators stood Friday afternoon at Crescent Hill, north of the Marshall Student Center, each waiting solemnly to place a flower - mostly white carnations - between photos of Nahida Sultana Bristy, shown wearing a flowing royal-blue sari, and Zamil Limon, pictured in a patterned coral-pink kurta with a bright green stole.

The two students' lives were cut tragically short last month.

Bristy, 27, was a doctoral student in chemical engineering. She began her studies in fall 2025 after coming to the United States from Bangladesh to pursue advanced research in engineering and sustainability-related fields.

Limon, also 27, was a graduate student studying geography and environmental science and policy. He began his studies in fall 2024, also after arriving from Bangladesh.

Those gathered at the vigil did so to offer condolences and to remind Bristy's and Limon's friends and family that they were not alone in their grief.

"We become the village for one another," said Imam Hassan Sultan after opening the vigil with a prayer.

Student Body Vice President Caio Esmeraldi, who spoke next, echoed that message.

"This entire community is standing with you today," Esmeraldi said.

Omar Hossain, a friend of both Bristy and Limon, told those in attendance that the three of them "had a dream we'd always be together and progress in our lives together."

"I will cherish all the memories," Hossain then said, recalling how, after winning a soccer championship, Limon celebrated by telling him, "You are my champion."

And no matter what Hossain cooked for dinner, he said, Bristy always remarked, "That was amazing."

Mark Rains, a professor in the School of Geosciences, described Limon as extremely bright, respectful and humble.

"He wanted to make the world a better place," Rains said.

Vinay Gupta, a professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, recalled Bristy's "quiet smile," her love for music and singing, and the umbrella she carried to protect herself from the Florida sun.

"We gather in grief because two vibrant members of our university community, Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, were taken from us far too soon," USF President Moez Limayem said. "We gather with heavy hearts to mourn, to remember, and to stand together in the face of a tragedy that has shaken every corner of our community."

To the families of Bristy and Limon, Limayem said, "Please know this: Your children mattered here. They belonged here. They were loved here. And they will never be forgotten."

The vigil was held a short distance from the University of South Florida Student Memorial Wall, a curved black granite monument set beneath live oaks, bearing the engraved names of students who died while enrolled at the university, organized by year and spanning multiple decades.

In the coming months, Bristy's and Limon's names will be added.

"Tonight, the campus feels different," said Emma Goodwin, student governor of the Tampa campus. "There is an emptiness we feel. … They mattered. They will not be forgotten."