Mile High Academy, local Denver, Colorado, churches, and the community have joined together as they honor the life of one of their students who passed away Tuesday, January 14.
“We ask our community to lift up the parents of the student, the Mile High Academy students and staff, our pastors and the counselors in prayer as we continue to grieve together,” said Lonnie Hetterle, Rocky Mountain Conference education superintendent.
On January 15, the following statement was issued by Mile High Academy’s administration:
It is with profound sadness that Mile High Academy confirms the loss of one of our students. Our hearts go out to this family. We want the family to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers. MHA has been working closely with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department as they continue to investigate this tragedy. Mile High Academy will have grief counselors and pastors on hand to help our students, staff and families with this loss. Prayers for our students and staff are appreciated. Thank you for respecting the privacy of our school community at this time.
Ed Barnett, RMC president, visited the school on Wednesday and Thursday. He commented, “Our hearts hurt for the parents and family of our student who is no longer with us. The way the Mile High Academy students, staff and local churches have come together speaks volumes to just how closely connected this community is, especially in times of sadness. We also want to say thank you to the counselors and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance during this time. Please continue to pray for all involved.”
A candlelight vigil was held on Thursday, January 16 at Mile High Academy. No memorial information is available at this time. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral and family travel expenses at https://www.gofundme.com/f/mya-pena-funeral-funds. For questions regarding additional ways to support Mile High Academy, please contact Jamie Frain, Mile High Academy’s interim principal, at jfrain@milehighacademy.org or 303.744.1069.
—Karrie Meyers
This article originally appeared on the Rocky Mountain Conference website.
Photo: Mile High Academy
