Dekalb | Jenny Lee, senior accountancy major, and Erika Villagomez, senior accountancy and information systems double major, were enjoying a slow-paced morning while headed to breakfast after a night out seeing DJ Magician, but moments after parting ways, tragedy struck.

After leaving the restaurant to return to her apartment in DeKalb Saturday, Villagomez was involved in a fatal car accident in Wheaton. Lee said Villagomez was a great friend who liked to take the time to listen to her loved ones and understand their strengths and weaknesses to help them become their best selves.

“She knew each of us so well that she was able to change all of us in the way that we needed,” said Lee.

Sera Delikaya, senior nursing and public health double major and Villagomez’s roommate, also said Villagomez wanted to affect those surrounding her in a positive way.

“She was like the most ambitious, strong and beautiful soul I’ve ever met,” Delikaya said. “The thing about her is she wanted to teach people and have people reach their best.”

Delikaya said she will always remember her first shift working at Victoria’s Secret Pink with Villagomez. After a stressful day, Villagomez suggested the girls scream at the top of their lungs on the car ride home, which was the moment Delikaya said she realized “this girl was going to be someone very close to [her] heart.”

It was situations like this that Delikaya said helped her to unleash a different side of her personality.

“I’m like more of a reserved, quiet person, but she brought out my inner-self, I guess; she was awesome,” Delikaya said.

Villagomez, who was on track to graduate in May, set post-graduation goals to give back. Jocelyn Depaz, senior accountancy major and Villagomez’s roommate, said it was important to Villagomez to give back in a big way.

Depaz said Villagomez was always thankful for her opportunities and felt fortunate to be at NIU. Being born in Mexico, Depaz said Villagomez wanted to give back to those less fortunate than her.

“She always wanted to go back and open schools in Mexico and make a fund under her name,” Depaz said. “She was always a go-getter; she wanted to make it big. She wanted to make something of herself or something out of all the hard work she did.”

Villagomez’s ambition and motivation to succeed is something her friends said they will always cherish about her.

“She wanted to be CEO eventually of a company; that was her ultimate goal,” Depaz said.

Aside from her goals to become a CEO and build schools in Mexico, Depaz said Villagomez hoped to put her younger sister, Vanessa, through college to give back to her parents.

Villagomez also hoped to come back to NIU and make changes to the accountancy program and offer students opportunities in fashion similar to that of Dennis Barsema, Board of Trustees vice chairperson and university benefactor, Delikaya said.

Villagomez was involved in several groups in her time on campus. She worked hard in her academics, maintained a job, and participated in Student Association, the Accountancy Leadership Advisory Council, the Student Accounting Society, and was on the executive board of two accounting groups.

It is this level of involvement that her friends said contributed to her being cultured and well-rounded.

“Erika knew everything about everything,” Lee said. “She knew so much about history and politics, and then skin care, makeup; just so diverse.”

Villagomez, who is survived by her parents, a brother and a sister, spoke often of her family Lee said.

NIU officials are offering services to students, faculty and staff who are grieving.

“We utilize our Counseling and Consultation services Office, and staff in that office have reached out to students who knew Erika, as well as staff and faculty in the college of business, to provide support both to her friends and to her classmates,” said Mike Stang, assistant vice president for Student Affairs.

Although Villagomez’s life ended when she was only 22 years old, she shared a wealth of memories with those close to her.

“There are people that live such long lives, but they don’t really live; they just kind of exist,” Lee said. “With her, it’s like she lived such a short life, but she experienced all the life experiences that you have so quickly.”