The University lost a rare, precious and irreplaceable gem during the summer. Rebecca Dermanjian, a first-year student in the Honors school, died in a car accident on June 16.
A resident in Beechwood Hall and a dedicated student, Dermanjian was excited to return to the University for her sophomore year.
English Professor Frank Fury was cousins with Dermanjian. He explained she was a girl who absolutely loved her family.
“It sounds like an overstatement, but she really cared about each and every person in her family,” Fury said. “She just adored her little cousins, and her parents and brother. She was so modest and unassuming, a great person. She either didn’t know it or didn’t acknowledge it.”
Fury said Dermanjian was very proud to be a student at the University.
“While she was trying to decide where to go to college, she visited Monmouth, loved it and set her sights on it,” he said. “She liked being able to live on her own, but was close enough to come home if she wanted to spend time with her family. She was also very proud to be in the Honors school.”
Dermanjian was a psychology major and was planning to specialize in child psychology.
“She had a strong love for children and connected really well with younger people,” Fury reminisced.
Dermanjian’s mother, Millie, said her daughter chose to major in psychology for her ability to help others with their problems.
“She was always the one who her friends went to for advice and to just talk things over with,” Millie Dermanjian said. “She was also a very good listener and most times nonjudgmental. She had an open mind and an open heart.”
While living in Beechwood’s J Suite, Dermanjian became close with roommates Olivia Greco and Alison Abate, both sophomores.
“Though I only had Beckey in my life for a few short months as my suitemate and friend, I will remember the time we spent together for the rest of my life,” Greco explained. “Within the first week of moving in to the suite last fall, we all knew that lasting friendships would result from the random room assignments we had been given for our freshmen year.”
Abate added to Greco’s thoughts.
“Beckey was one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life,” she said. “It is so true when everyone says that her smile could light up a room. She was beautiful and smart, caring and understanding. She was the best person to talk to. She will forever be in our hearts, and I miss and love her very much.”
Fellow suitemate Rachel Kenny said Dermanjian was one of the sweetest people she knew.
“Coming to college, I never expected to form such tight bonds with people I had just met, but Beckey became one of my best friends almost immediately,”
Kenny said. “She had a passion for making other people happy and taught me to enjoy the little things in life. I’m going to miss every single thing about her, from her genuine smile to her music playing across the hallway at all times.”
According to Fury, Dermanjian took part in many Honors school and residence hall activities.
“She was very proactive with what Monmouth offered,” he added.
Family and friends remembered Dermanjian as a music fan.
“Beckey loved music,” Greco said. “She always ran into my room to tell me about a new band or to make me listen to a song she found. Some of the best memories I got to share with her were at the concerts we went to this past year.”
Dermanjian’s favorite artists ranged from Lady Gaga, A Day to Remember, Avenged Sevenfold, LMFAO, and All Time Low. She loved attending concerts, especially Bamboozle, which she went to every year.
“With her love of music came constant dancing, and I will definitely miss the study breaks I took with her to blast music and dance in our common room,” Greco added.
Dermanjian had a skill that many may have not known upon meeting her.
Fury explained she was an excellent and gifted writer.
“She wrote all throughout her life, you could say,” Fury said. “She wrote stories when she was just a young girl and, more recently, she had an aptitude for academic writing.”
An essay that Dermanjian had written on A Tale of Two Cities was nominated by English Professor Belinski for an Honors academic award.
Greco said that as a student, Dermanjian had an incredible work ethic and would have had a promising four years at the University.
“Her character sets the best example for the type of students we should want to be on this campus,” Greco said. “She will be missed by all that knew her, and is irreplaceable in our lives.
Beckey will always be in our hearts.”
Dermanjian resided in Budd Lake with her father Ken, mother Millie, and brother Shane.
The University has arranged for an annual scholarship in Dermanjian’s name to honor her memory.
“The criteria for it has yet to be set, though I know there have been numerous contributions to it already,” Fury said. “Students who learn about the scholarship may feel inclined to contribute or have their parents contribute.”
PHOTO COURTESY of Frank Fury
