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Happy Birthday, Matt! Miss our times at school in psych classes and working on our theses together - thank you for being my friend. Hope you're resting well up there ❤️

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Thinking about you today, Matt. I miss you. 

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Thinking about you today, Matt. I miss you. 

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I love you and miss you. Thank you for being such a light to others. I know you will continue to inspire me in many different ways. I hope to dream of you again my love.

Always thinking of you.

TQM,
Tu hermana Magda

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Matt-I still think about you every day. How are you not here? I keep thinking I'll text you and then I remember you are gone. You are part of so many of my stories from the  last four years-I'll tell one, get to you, and then remember all over again that you aren't here and I'll feel my heart break just a little bit more. When I think of you, I think of your laugh, your voice, your kind beautiful eyes, and the beautiful, ridiculous, (and often self-deprecating) things you would tell me-with your eyes either glowing with interest or humor. I so much felt (and feel), like you are one of the people in the world who truly understood the hardest things I had gone through because you had gone through them too. We were kindred spirits through and through, and I will carry you with me for the rest of my life. I miss you so much. I wish I knew and could be with more of your family and friends during this time-where we are all grieving you and finding ways to keep your memory alive in us always. Love you forever, Matt. -Greta

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Today I’m on way to the Fort Lauderdale Airport to catch my plane to DR. I can’t stop crying in the car. This was the last trip we did together.. I remember this like it was yesterday, February 13th, 2021. We stopped by the supermarket and bought our favorites chips and champagne. I also asked you to buy me flowers, and you got me beautiful white roses🤍🤍😭. On our way to the airport, we talked about clubhouse and other things. We listened to our favorite songs and you fell asleep for a bit. I loved watching you sleep, you seemed so relaxed and peaceful. I also know how much stress you had from school and how you wouldn’t get much sleep anyways, so I took a pic of you of ya. Once we got there, I woke ya ass up cause homegirl was getting bored. I remember you looking around and saying “Wow, I remember living around here.” I loved how you were able to relive memories here in FL.. Florida will always be home to you. We had so much fun at the beach, we talked about our goals and dreams and how we wanted to eventually live together. We got tipsy and had so many laughs and took pictures. We went inside the water and you told me you took a DNA test and how you were disappointed in the results 🤣.. I remember how much love and affection we were showing each other. I really felt extra loved that day. I let you drive my car afterwards and we put the windows down and blasted Ari’s new album 💿 😉 I remember this so vividly, we were singing our little hearts out and I dropped edamame all over the car and we laughed so hard.. I made the biggest mess. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale, FL ☀️ ⛅️ We met up with your family and had cuban food. Afterwards, we had ice cream with nutella🥰🥰 and Oreos!! So delicious, I remember how quick we ate that haha... We never played with our food🤣 Once we got back to the hotel we cuddled and watched the bachelor and of course, you loved the girl with the most drama lol.. Coming back from Fort Lauderdale, I promised you i’d take you to my fav beach in Naples, and we did! We spent a couple of hours there and met up with my parents afterwards for dinner and dessert❤️ I also made sure you had the chance to spend some time with your second parents. After dinner, we went for a walk around Mercato and all I remember is your hugs and kisses.. I felt like we just really missed each other (even though I went to NY in November lol) I’ll never forget the last moments I got to spend with you my love. You made me the happiest girl in the world. Thank you for living in the same community as me when we were kids, thanks for becoming my friend in high school and telling everyone I was your Dominican cousin. Thank you for the amazing memories. I’m so blessed to have been your best friend and sister. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for being their for me through it all, the good and bad. You always showed up. You were such a loving, caring, goofy, sometimes annoying brother. I loved ever second of it and was so excited for our future. We had so many plans.. Wow. I still can’t believe you’re not here. The love I have for you is endless cosita. I’ll never forget when you made fun of my butterfly tshirt when i was 16. I know you wanted us to go to LA and drink smoothies. Now i have no tower choice but to go to LA and drink two smoothies (Yours and mine). Everyday it gets harder for me, but you’re still alive in my mind, heart and soul. I can’t believe I met you. My sweet brother and soulmate. I’ll never forget our last words on February 25th @2am, it was I love you. I really not doing okay, but once i start to heal, I promise you i will work twice as hard. Anything I do will be involving you and your work/passion. You inspired me so much Mattie. You encouraged me to be the best version of myself, to face my fear and to take risks. I won’t ever replace you. I’ll continue talking to you and loving you even more🤍 - Your Hermana, Magda AKA Magdalini tortellini.

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You were such a warm and kind presence and so loved by everyone. I only got to know you at the end of our college years but we got along so easily it was like we had been friends forever. I loved getting dinner with you in the dining halls and studying in the hallway of our dorm. You had a wonderful laugh and smile and it was always a nice time with you. I never told you but you were such an uplifting spirit in my darker moments and I am forever grateful to you. I am so thankful to have known you and been able to call you friend. The world will miss you dearly but your kind, loving, and lively spirit will carry on through all your family and friends who lives you touched. We love you, Matt.

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We became friends at the class in Mexico and quickly confided secrets in each other. We giggled on our walks to town and I was so happy to have found such an incredible friend in the bittersweet moments of senior year. You made me feel so special, beautiful and radiant whenever I was around you. That spring semester at Cornell was lovely. We smuggled wine into to-go mugs when we met for dinners on West Campus. We salsa danced at Agava. We spent warm spring nights on your porch and made plans for the future. I wish they happened. I will never forget your laugh, Matt. Much love and thinking of everyone who loved you so much. XX

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So very sorry to hear about this news. I enjoyed having you in my classes and co-advising your honors thesis. You wrote about the dehumanizing effects of social exclusion. - A perfect topic for someone who cared so much about inclusion. I remember looking down from the stage on graduation day as you sat proudly among your peers, thinking of the promising future you all had ahead of you. I wish with all my heart that it could have been a much longer future for you. My warmest thoughts go out to your loved ones. - Corinna Loeckenhoff

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You are the funniest, most creative, accepting person I ever met. You were spontaneous and full of life. It feels impossible that you are gone and I don't want to believe it. You pushed me and inspired me, and all of your friends. I am so glad we constantly said " i love you" to each-other, even if it was followed by "but I hate you". I still have all those travel sized toothpaste tubes you left at my apartment...Nothing is the same without you and the heart of gold you have. I was supposed to see you this week in person, and now how much more I wish that was happening. I will always love you and think of you <3

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I can’t believe I’m writting this. I met you wayyy back in 2010 when they made a versus picture of us on Facebook LMFAOO. Yes I’m taking it alll the way back . Fast forward to that semester and we ended up having fashion merchandising together. And i felt as if where had you been all my life? I’ve never met anyone like who could leave such an impact on me. You were so determined to do anything that you put your mind to and it was so beautiful so see you at work, being around your kinda spirit, heading your warm voice, laughing ya at your jokes.. it breaks my heart i don’t have any pictures with you. Granted I’ll always be able to share all these fond memories in my heart. Matty, I love you so much..❤️

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We found this written in the streets of Cartagena and you commented how relatable it was to feel lost in your 20’s. You sauntered over and asked for a picture, flashing an easy smile. We never could have expected the words written on that box to take on such a devastating meaning. We were two young adults wandering through the town, two kids lost in our 20s. Now we, the people who knew and loved you, have lost you, in your twenties. But the impact you made in those 20+ years of life will never be lost. Your legacy of kindness will live on forever.

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Matt, I love you so much. I miss you every day. 

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Matt, I love you so much. I miss you every day. 

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Matt, when I think back to my favorite Cornell memories, I think of your face and laughter, always creating plans and making an adventure out of everything. You went out of your way to let the people in your life know you appreciated them. You had such a way of making others feel special and seen. I miss our talks about our hopes and dreams for the future over coffee. I miss exploring Cartagena and concocting schemes to recuperate your phone, even if it didn’t work. You appreciated experiencing new foods and cultures and learning about how to help people. I miss your hugs and calming, encouraging voice ready to speak words of love and support. I miss jamming out to Rosalia with you before exploring. It hurts to think these memories together are the last we’ll ever get a chance to make. I’m grateful for the memories we have and for the friendship you’ve blessed me with. There’s a Matt shaped hole in our lives. I will always miss you. You made the world a better place just by being you, by living and leading with your compassionate heart and inquisitive mind. Rest easy, Matt. Con altura.

Con mucho cariño,

Juli

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Matthew I truly cannot believe you are gone. Thankful is the word that comes to mind when I think of you. I am so thankful I was able to see you grow and shine. You jokester. You loved laughing and making others laugh. You enjoyed life and most importantly you LOVED people. As for me and my family, you were and will always be our little brother. You showed us so much love, affection and genuine care. I love you Matt. You left my sis broken Matt. You loved that girl and she loved you. You guys were truly twins. You brought the best out of Magda and pushed her to dare and be bold, just like you. Matt, I don’t know that I’ll ever get over your loss. Every time I look up at the sky I’ll think of your beautiful smile, your tender hugs and funny jokes. Time stopped when you left.. Thank you for loving Magda like a protective brother. For hyping her up and showing her the joys of life. I’ll try my best to fill in a little tiny bit of your shoes for her. But I know no one will ever come close to you in our life and certainly not in Magda’s life. Mami and Papi love you too Matt. We always will.
With all our love,
Your second family.
Seydyss

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Matt,

You've always held such a special place in my heart, and I am truly broken without you here. Your beautiful life was cut so short, but your legacy and the way you've enriched people's lives speaks volumes. I have never met a more empathetic, driven, supportive soul. You have truly made each one of my days brighter just by being yourself. I will never forget the way you made me feel so validated, loved, and supported every second I was in your company. The world lost a true treasure, but I will never forget all of our special memories. Thank you for blessing my life with the gift of yours.
Kristina

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We had so much fun this day.. You even finished my ice cream.. You loved eating with me. I made you breakfast this day. You made me the happiest human. You are a part of me. We could never explain our relationship to others.. It was indescribable. Tu eres me alma gemela Matthew Ávila.

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I did not know you, but I felt like I did through Magda. From what I knew of you, you were a best friend to Magda with a good heart. God needed you up there with him and we all know you are watching over your friends and loved ones. RIP

“Death ends a life, not a relationship” – Jack Lemmon

-Gabby

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Mattie Matthew so broken for your life being cut at this time of your life. You brought so much joy in my life and those around you. I will always remember your goofiness, strong hugs, and jumping in my bed while I nap. I thank you for being such an impactful presence in my life and in Magda. You were and will always be family to me, to us. I know that you are surrounding us and next to God to watch over us. I pray for your soul and for peace for those who have been affected by this situation. Thank you for being unapologetically you, and radiating so much love every step of your life, I’m happy to hear that you lived life as you wanted when you wanted it. I love you 5ever, you will love in our hearts and mind for always, and pray for everyone that is grieving. I love you I’m sorry I miss you and I love everyone who showed you the love and affection and support you deserved. Zachira Gonzalez tu hermana

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Matt, I can’t thank you enough for being there for me through EVERYTHING. you were the most loyal friend. Even when you were going through it yourself you were there for me. Words can’t express the anger and deep sorrow I feel that you can’t continue to live and experience life, because you sure did love it. I’ll miss your kindness, loyalty, and compassion. You made me a more empathetic person and helped me develop myself. I know you’re watching over me.

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Matt I miss you so much already. You were the kindest and sweetest human being. Rest In Peace...