On Monday, Iowa State’s heart broke — former Iowa State women’s golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena has been identified as the body discovered Monday morning at the Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. 

In statements released by the Iowa State Athletics Department, she was immediately remembered as a beautiful person loved by family and friends. Someone with a bubbly personality and infectious smile. 

Celia, a senior in civil engineering, was also recently named Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year. She recently qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, becoming only the third Cyclone in history to make the event. 

And she was just 22.

While the details of Celia’s death have yet to be released, one thing is certain — what happened to the beloved women’s golfer and member of the Iowa State family is senseless and devastating. 

It is also terrifying. 

According to original reports by the Ames Police Department, Celia’s body was discovered after an unattended golf bag was reported to Ames police Monday morning at about 10 a.m.

In a press conference that afternoon, the police dubbed the incident suspicious and advised that the public “should probably be very wary right now.”

And at 10:20 p.m. Monday, Ames police released that Collin Daniel Richards, 22, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Celia’s death.

Among charges Richards has been convicted or plead guilty to are domestic abuse assault, first-degree harassment and third-degree attempted burglary, among other past charges, according to Iowa Courts Online. 

This history is important as violence against women is invasive and pervasive in today’s culture. 

After the initial reports that Celia’s body had been discovered at the Coldwater Golf Links, Iowa State Police Chief Michael Newton authored a letter warning the Iowa State community to be cautious of one’s surroundings and “if you’re in a situation that just doesn’t feel right, or things seem out of place, call police immediately. Never hesitate.”

But previous incidents in Ames, too, have threatened the safety of women. Attacks over the summer revealed this in which two men attempted to sexually assault a woman in the Campustown area, and in the same week, another woman was sexually assaulted. At the time, the Ames police advised “everyone to utilize the buddy system when out after dark and have a charged mobile phone with you to dial 911.”

As the community navigates this difficult time, the healing process must also begin with solutions. It is not enough to just advise afterward, but take proactive efforts to ensure the safety and protection of the community. This falls on both the public and its protectors.

But it is also important that as a community in mourning that those who are affected by the insensible death of Celia keep who she was at the forefront, rather than tokenizing her experience or using her as a martyr to drive a political debate. 

And with the death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts still fresh in the minds of Iowans, it is critical for Iowa State to heal properly and proactively address systematic issues plaguing women — that they not fall into, nor drive, the false political narratives that plagued Tibbetts’ family and surrounded her death.

Celia should be remembered for who she was — a friend, talented golfer, “an outstanding representative for our school” — instead of how she died or who took her life.