Eastern mourns the loss of one of its beloved students, Lizbet Carbajal. 

Carbajal died unexpectedly Jan. 6, 2024, at the age of 24. 

According to Legacy, a visitation was held on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Wait Ross Allanson Funeral & Cremation Services in Elgin. 

Carbajal was born Dec. 21, 1999, and grew up in Elgin.

Growing up in a family full of boys, until her sister came, Carbajal learned how to have thick skin from an early age. 

Not only that but being the only girl in a family of boys fostered her passion for sports, especially soccer. 

“We all kind of grew up together,” said her brother Danny Carbajal. “And we were always into sports, so I feel like she kind of gravitated to that growing up around us.” 

Throughout middle school, high school and during her time at Eastern, Lizbet Carbajal coached little league soccer, said her brother.  

Outside of sports, Carbajal was known for her love of nature and connection to the outdoors. 

Whether she walked the trail at Lake Charleston, explored through caves in Ohio or went hiking in Colorado Springs, Carbajal was always outside, and her brother believed she picked the trait up from their childhood. 

She planned to move to Colorado at some point because she absolutely loved the scenery out there, Danny Carbajal said. 

One of her most notable traits was her character. Carbajal was known for being a kind-spirited person who always wore a smile and had a heart of gold. 

She was described by her family as the type of person that made everyone’s day. She never wanted anyone to feel left out. She always wanted to go out and have a fun time, and she was there for anyone who needed her, no matter the time of day. 

“She just really brought like a light to every room with her laugh and her smile,” said her little sister Ruby Carbajal. “She was very friendly, always happy and just a very nice person.” 

“She had this energy; she always was really bright and always looked at the glass half full,” said Carbajal’s sorority sister Desdeny Jimenez. “She was always the middle. She never had a bad opinion about anybody.” 

Carbajal became a panther at Eastern because of how small the classes were and the fact that she could work closely with her professors. She enjoyed living on campus because of the multitude of opportunities the school offered and how easy it was to meet new people. 

While at Eastern, she became a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, also known as Tri Sigma. 

During her time at Tri Sigma, she made a lasting impact on the sorority. Carbajal held several executive board and chair positions alongside being a key figure in recruitment. 

Because of her friendly, open personality, Carbajal was able to help recruit new members and build up the sorority while creating new relationships with all the new sorority members. 

“She was always there for everybody even though she wasn’t in Sigma anymore ’cause she had graduated. She always made sure that I was okay in it,” said Jimenez. “She always made sure to ask the girls how they felt about it. She was always caring.” 

Having recently graduated from Eastern in the spring of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science, Carbajal planned to become an athletic and recreational therapist and a fitness trainer. She was able to get a start in her dream field by interning at Athletico Physical Therapy. 

Carbajal left an imprint on the lives of everyone she touched. 

Her mother, Marina Carbajal, will always remember the time they spent together over winter break. 

“So, my mom is saying just this past winter break, when [Lizbet Carbajal] came home, she was more affectionate with my mom, more like close to her,” said Danny Carbajal. “Like, she confided in my mom more and showed her love for my mom a little more than usual.” 

Her brother said he will remember the love Lizbet Carbajal had for his son and the time she spent with him. 

“Every time she came back home, she always wanted to see him or come and play with him,” he said. “Like I said, she loved him and loved being with him. We saw how much she cared for him, and he was excited to be with be his aunt.” 

Her sorority sisters said they will never forget the fun they had going out and the tipsy talk that would happen after. 

“It was that fun time that we were both vulnerable; we’re both a little tipsy,” Jiminez said. “We’ve had a couple of drinks, and we could still be with each other. We could still sit down with each other and just laugh. Just laugh about everything.” 

“I remember one of the funniest memories I have is that for Halloween, me and her dressed up as Luigi and Mario, and she was short, so anytime we would be at a bar or at a party, I’d be like, ‘Has anybody seen my Mario?’” she said. 

Although Lizbet Carbajal may be gone physically, her spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of people she knew. 

“I think what you can take from everyone is that she was just this bubbly, inclusive, outgoing, driven, hardworking woman who wanted the best for everybody and herself and just wanted to just rise up to the top of everything and just have everyone be healthy and happy around her,” said Ruby Carbajal. “She just was the light of everybody’s life, and she’s gonna be everybody’s angel forever.” 

Alexis Moore-Jones can be reached at 581-2812 or at amjones@eiu.edu.