Family and friends recall Drew Esquivel
At a memorial service for Drew Esquivel in California, a family friend described a photo that reflected the rising MIT senior’s joyful, adventurous spirit. Drew and his friends were jumping off some boulders into a pool, all “getting some good air,” according to Steve Vargas, whose family has been close to Drew’s for many years. High above the others, arms outstretched as if shouting “Cowabunga!,” soared Drew. “He was a go-for-it guy,” Vargas said. “He’d say, ‘Let’s get going.’ ‘I’ll go first.’ ‘We can DO this!’ Drew also had the ability to move others to action and used that wisely to accomplish great things. … We all know he was fiercely competitive, yet he encouraged the success of others and found joy in it.” Drew Esquivel died on July 16, killed by an alleged drunk driver in Brooklyn, New York. Rising MIT junior Sophia Tabchouri, alum James Balchunas '14, and a third friend,...