Icel Davila was a mentor, a sister. Her community remembers her for her smile, her civic responsibility and her drive to help others benefit from her own experiences.

Davila died on July 24, 2017, according to the Facebook post Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. put out in memory of Davila. Her cause of death had not been released at the time.

The Alpha Epsilon chapter at Iowa State is part of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc., a sorority dedicated to providing opportunity to Latinas, according to the sorority’s website. When a member dies, she is inducted into the Lambda chapter. Since the sorority’s founding in 1986, Davila is the seventh sister to be inducted and become an Eternal Lambda.

The sorority does have traditions for the passing of a sister. The sisters will wear pins and silver ribbons to the ceremony. All members change their profile image to the memorium image released by the sorority. At the permission of the family, 18 white roses are placed at the funeral and 18 sent to the family. A sister can also read a poem dedicated to eternal Lambdas. 

Davila had recently celebrated her 21st birthday and celebrated her graduation from Iowa State in May. She was academics chair and vice president of the sorority, and reported directly to Anika Rivera, Vice Chair of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc.

Rivera said Davila was thinking about attending law school. A scholarship recipient from ROTC and academically focused herself, Davila led the chapter in mentorship programs and helped her sisters remain academically successful. 

“She would do this thing where she covered her mouth when she smiled, she had this shy nature,” Rivera said. “You can see every single picture of her was of her and her huge smile.”

Rivera was receiving many calls from family, sorority members and high schoolers Davila had mentored. Davila’s Facebook account has been memorialized for friends to remember her. She had returned to her family home in Omaha, Nebraska after graduation in May, Rivera said.

“She was really passionate about doing more about civics and civic responsibility,” Rivera said. “She pursued a lot of paths that others may not have had the courage to pursue. Despite her shy, quiet demeanor, she was inherently bold.”

Davila volunteered for a joint program between Iowa State and the Ames School District called Connect. Volunteers help students from eighth grade to graduation to help them connect to school, peers, staff, community and higher education. Davila worked with high school juniors.

“She talked to them, built relationships and expanded on her experiences and reason for attending college. She was an amazing asset to our hispanic students,” Sipele Kiddos told the Daily.

Reyna Serna, who Kiddos said helped pioneer the Connect program, was one of Davila’s mentees. Serna said they met when she had a job at the Panda Express in the Memorial Union, and the two would joke about being bilingual and who had dish duty.

“Meeting and getting to know Icel was so amazing,” Serna said. “So friendly, caring, an amazing friend, coworker, mentor. She was so amazing and knew how to handle situations the right way.”

Through the mentor program, Davila encouraged Serna self-confidence and helped her with math.

“Connect really focuses on minority, first generation, and disconnected teens to help get them plugged in and to graduation and beyond,” Kiddos said.

“She had a real knack for being firm yet approachable. She was going to do amazing things in psychology and social work,” Kiddos said. “I have not seen anyone so professional and compassionate, so early into her journey.”

Kiddos remembered the end of the year, when she sat down with Davila to talk about her expereince.

“She told me some of her story, her aspirations and why she wanted to work with these students. I took one look at her and knew, she was going to change lives,” Kiddos said.

And Davila already had, Kiddos added.

“The connections she forged with our students could not have been done better by anyone else,” Kiddos said. “She will forever have her imprint on their lives, and mine.”