Aeden Anbesse

“Grief is only a beautiful thing.. it’s unexpressed love.” - Andrew Garfield

On November 18, 1998 Aeden Anbesse took her place on this earth and completed our family. Aeden’s memory is sustained by her mother Amarech Aytenfisu, father Anbesse Hailemariam, siblings Michael, Senait, and Bezait, nephew Iman and niece Nora. She was a first-generation Ethiopian-American and was born in Logan Regional Hospital in Utah where she continued to reside in Cache Valley.

From an early start, she proved to be a force to be reckoned with and held the attention of all who knew her. She was a voracious reader and discovered her love of literature at the age of three. Her hunger for curiosity, creativity and the pursuit of knowledge inspired her love for science and art. She attended Edith Bowen Elementary, Mount Logan Middle School, and Logan High School. She finished her educational journey at Utah State University with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.

Aeden’s individuality as a creative was profoundly evident. As a bonafide maximalist, she took pride in critiquing and admiring everything from Christmas lights, culinary arts, to impeccable fashion taste, and met gala looks. She was an enthusiastic ceramicist and sculpting miniature pottery was her line of expertise. Baking was one of her favorite pastimes and she would often make pastries for her friends during finals. She loved to sing along with her curated playlists of eclectic music of adored performers like Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Beyonce and K-POP (only the girlies). It was also almost impossible to not notice how vibrant her personality was through her experimental hair colors, styles, and dainty pastel attire.

In February 2020, it was discovered that Aeden had stage four cervical cancer while matriculating through college. As a Black disabled woman, her symptoms often felt minimized. While it was validating for her to have an official diagnosis, it is deeply frustrating for us to reconcile with how medical neglect escalated the severity of her condition. We are grateful for the core healthcare team during Aeden’s post-diagnosis years. She was still persistent about completing her studies but formal accommodation for her health was inaccessible. During the winter of 2021, she defied her circumstances to successfully cross the finish line and earn her undergraduate degree.

It is undeniable that Aeden has graced us and all those she moved through with her presence. She was the first inaugural Black & African American Student Program Coordinator of Utah State University’s Inclusion Center. She used her platform to advocate for students who navigated intersectional barriers facing our community in academia. She chose to keep the status of her condition private to her students. This created a strong sense of normalcy, making her place of work a sacred one where her dignity felt preserved. We believe that it’s important for others to recognize that Aeden was much more than her illness and lived many years healthy prior to it. Together we honor her memory and are indebted to those who valued her.

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