Singer and actress Aaliyah was known as a talented person in her field of work and a role model to young people everywhere.

That’s why when the news of her death hit the public, it came as a shock to many.

“When I heard the news, I got sad. I got sad and angry at the same time,” Matilde Duran, a sophomore theater/art major said. “It is very unfair to see how she died when she was so intelligent, young and beautiful.”

The 22-year old entertainer died in a plane crash Aug. 26 on her way back to Miami after shooting for her next video, “Rock the Boat,” in the Bahamas. According to reports, the plane suffered engine failure and went down 200 feet from the end of the runway in Marsh Haubor airport on Abaco Island. The plane then burst into flames.

She released her third album, “Aaliyah,” last month, and it debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.

Aaliyah’s family gave a statement to the media, saying they were devastated at the loss of their loving daughter and sister. Their hearts go out to the families who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident, according to CNN.com.

“She seemed so friendly on shows like MTV,” said Kafayat Owokoniran, a sophomore nursing major. “I felt so bad because she was so young.”

There have been different reactions to Aaliyah’s untimely death from many students around campus. While many express mostly sorrow, undecided major Andrea Smith, had a slightly different opinion on the death of the star than most.

“It was very tragic what happened to Aaliyah, and I’m sorrowful for her family, but it doesn’t need all the hype because she was human like anyone else,” Smith said.

Aaliyah was born in New York on Jan. 16, 1979. In 1999, she was named one of the hottest stars under 21 by Teen People. Her song, “Try Again,” received the MTV award for Best Female Video and Best Video from a film.

Because of her performance in the movie “Romeo Must Die” with Jet Li, Aaliyah also had plans to co-star in the sequel to “The Matrix” with Keanu Reeves, which would have started filming in the fall.

“We have to take advantage of the opportunities we have because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” Owokoniran said.