The Gardner-Webb University student took to her Twitter account on Jan. 17 and posted the message: “Thank you God for another year of life.” Hours later, she collapsed during a religion class and was rushed to nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the Associated Press reports.
The senior at the North Carolina Christian college was originally from Delaware and majored in religious studies, the Gaston Gazette reports. She had recently obtained a work-study position managing multimedia for campus ministries.
The cause of her death is still under investigation. The university released the following statement on its Facebook page:
We are deeply saddened and in shock by this monumental loss. We pray for Ariane’s family and friends during this difficult time, and hope they will somehow find peace in the midst of this tragedy. No words can truly express how we collectively feel as a university during this time. While the school encouraged students to write memories of Patterson on its Facebook page, at least two classmates shared their thoughts on their student blogs.
