Friends Forever

It’s always a tragedy when someone dies young, as Dave Myers ’93 did at 46. We were close at Swarthmore but lost touch since graduating, so my memories of him are frozen at college-age.

Dave’s passion for music most defined him. He taught himself to play guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, and piano and would sneak down to the Willetts basement at night to record new songs. His music was even what got him admitted—instead of an essay, he submitted an original song with lyrics about never abandoning your ideals.

Memories of a smiling, vivacious, and passionately driven Dave have guided me ever since. After all, we still carry our years at Swarthmore and those old versions of the people who shaped us there into our current lives. Those versions still influence us, whether we’re in touch or not. 

I hope my daughter will share a campus with friends who engage and inspire her. Because those relationships, and the mark they leave on us, will—thankfully—never die. 

—CAITLIN GUTHEIL ’90, Portland, Maine