DETROIT — Arielle Anderson was destined for greatness, several speakers including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday at the funeral for the 19-year-old student killed during the mass shooting at Michigan State University last week.
Hundreds of mourners, largely family, filled Zion Baptist Church on Detroit's east side to say goodbye to Anderson, who was one of three MSU students who were killed in the shooting.
She lived up to her middle name, "a human reflection of a diamond," Anderson's aunt Kimella Spivey said to a packed church decked out with pink and white roses.
Other speakers spoke about her confidence, how she always knew exactly what kind of person she wanted to grow up to be and even though she will never be the surgeon she had always dreamed she'd be, Anderson still achieved greatness.
Whitmer spoke about Anderson's confidence and her commitment to serving everyone around her.
"As I look around this church and I've listened to stories and I've listened to comments about this beautiful young soul, her impact was undeniable," Whitmer said. "In her own words 'she was a dime plus nine' and though her life was cut short in the cruelest of ways, her impact is undeniable."
The funeral was held the day after hundreds gathered at the visitation for the 19-year-old. For hours, they flocked to Cantrell Funeral Services, some wearing suits or MSU memorabilia, reminiscing about the sophomore who was driven by a longtime passion to serve and dreamed of becoming a surgeon. Two days earlier, a vigil was held for Anderson, following funerals on Saturday for the other two shooting victims, 20-year-old Brian Fraser from Grosse Pointe and 20-year-old Alexandria Verner from Clawson.
Anderson was from Harper Woods and a 2021 graduate of Grosse Pointe North High School who was planning to graduate early from MSU.
But Anderson was more than a dedicated student, Detroit Public Schools Community District Executive Director Aaron Walter said. He reflected on potlucks the school district would have over the years for the bus drivers and how Anderson would serve food there.
"She was there serving those same bus drivers that took her and her friends to school and on field trips, so she didn't forget about Detroit, she knew where she came from," Walter said.
Anderson is smiling now, Walter said, knowing she's the only one that could make a diehard Wolverine fan like himself find, buy and wear a Spartan tie.
Smiling and holding her degree, University Board of Trustees Chair Rema Vassar said Anderson will be receiving a posthumous degree from MSU. Vassar noted Anderson as highly educated and determined Black woman, joining the ranks of countless other women before her.
"She joins that sisterhood. She got her angel wings and she's bringing her degree," Vassar said.
