On Monday morning, the University of South Florida campus in Tampa became a place of remembrance and hope. At 8 a.m., classmates, friends and family gathered outside the Physical Education building to plant an evergreen oak tree in honor of Lauryn Akey, a senior nursing student who was killed in a tragic wrong‑way drunk‑driving collision on Interstate 75 in Charlotte County.
Lauryn Akey’s story
Lauryn was returning home from a wedding when a driver traveling the wrong direction on I‑75 struck her vehicle. Florida Highway Patrol later confirmed the driver, Dennis Olson, was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Minutes before the impact, Lauryn had sent a text to her family expressing her love, a final message that now echoes in the hearts of those who knew her.
A living tribute
The oak tree, provided by the Exercise Science Department, symbolizes a life dedicated to caring for others. As an evergreen, it will stand year after year, reminding the campus community of Lauryn’s compassion and the promise she held as a future nurse. The planting ceremony was led by members of the Exercise Science Department, who highlighted the importance of service and community that Lauryn embodied.
Family turns grief into action
Lauryn’s mother, Melinda Mucho, has channeled her sorrow into a broader movement. She continues to promote the viral hashtag #LoveLikeLauryn and has founded the Love Like Lauryn Foundation, an organization aimed at fostering kindness, supporting victims of traffic tragedies, and encouraging safe driving practices. “You can look her up and see how loved she is. I just want everyone to feel that,” Mucho said during the ceremony. “She was never mean to anybody. She brought people together, loved hard, loved so hard.”
Community response
The ceremony drew a diverse crowd of students, faculty, and local residents, all united by a shared desire to honor Lauryn’s memory and to advocate for safer roads. Many attendees expressed a renewed commitment to preventing future tragedies caused by impaired driving. The event also underscored the role of faith‑based and family‑centered values in guiding the community’s response to loss.
Looking ahead
The Love Like Lauryn Foundation plans to expand its outreach, offering educational programs on the dangers of drunk driving and providing resources for families affected by similar accidents. The evergreen oak now stands as a tangible reminder of those efforts, rooted in the belief that love and compassion can grow stronger even in the face of heartbreak.
As the campus community continues its daily rhythm, the tree will serve as a place for quiet reflection, a symbol of resilience, and a call to action for safer streets throughout Florida.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
