By MELISSA WALKER

Staff Writer

"She was a joy to all her family and friends, and will be greatly missed. Our loss is Jesus' joy."

Those are the words written by the parents of former Tech student Jessica Lyn Chatham in response to the car accident that ended her life Nov. 15 in Vernon.

According to police reports, Chatham was heading westbound on LA-148 when a driver heading eastbound crossed over the center line into her lane.

She attempted to avoid the driver by entering into his lane, but was unable to avoid the head-on collision.

Chatham was born July 11, 1981, in Chatham, where she became a member of the Chatham United Methodist Church.

She continued to grow in her faith through her involvement with the Wesley Foundation at Tech and the Lighthouse Baptist Church of Monroe.

Chatham was a senior education major and her voice could be heard at KLPI, Tech's radio station, where she worked as a disc jockey.

She could also be seen fundraising and supporting the baseball team as a Baseball Belle.

Michelle Leimkuhler, a senior English education major, said, beyond her school involvement, Chatham was best known for her ability to impact others.

Leimkuhler befriended Chatham through the participating in the Wesley Foundation.

"She was one of the most encouraging people I had ever met," Leimkuhler said. "Every time I saw her, she always had a compliment for me. She always made me feel good."

Leimkuhler said Chatham made people feel they were important.

David Glasspool, a sophomore elementary education major, also met Chatham at the Wesley Foundation.

"I had never met a Jessica I liked until I met Jessica Chatham," Glasspool said.

"She was a nice, funny girl. The first time I met her, she spat out 10 to 15 jokes.

"She had the same sense of humor I did -- liking jokes that didn't make any sense."

Glasspool said Chatham's main outstanding quality was her ability to show love to others.

"She was a loving person," Glasspool said.

"I always felt good when she came and talked to me."

Leimkuhler said she agrees.

"Her love was for people who needed help," Leimkuhler said.

"She gave me a ride home from class and talked about a guy in the war she thought was cute," Leimkuhler said.

"Actually, he was the 'finest man in the world.' That was the last time I saw her."

Glasspool said he has felt a loss from her absence.

"I always saw her in this certain spot in the George T. Madison Building," Glasspool said.

"I was looking for her that day to see if she wanted to hang out. But that was the day she died."

Glasspool said he did not know Chatham for very long, but it did not take long for her to make an impact on his life.