SUNNYVALE — On the morning she died, UC Davis student Brianna Izuno woke up before sunrise, grabbed a jacket, breakfast to go and her Bible, and was soon driving north through heavy fog on a two-lane stretch of highway in the Central Valley.
Izuno, a 2014 graduate of The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale, may have been driving to Sutter Buttes, an area near where her mother was raised, to read the Bible. On her way, Izuno was involved in a fatal collision Nov. 11 on Highway 113 with three other vehicles, including a big rig, and died at the age of 19.
“I believe, in my heart, she was driving there to read that Bible and have some solace with God,” her mother Cynthia Levin said.
Izuno, who graduated from The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale in 2014, was a sophomore at UC Davis with a double major in economics and international relations, according to her mother and stepfather, Dan Levin. Before heading to college, Izuno had been a part of the Sunnyvale community her entire life, volunteering at numerous organizations, including the Stanford Blood Bank and as a Sunday school teacher.
“She was a person that had a big heart and gave a lot to the community,” Cynthia Levin said. “She had her own selfless heart that gave so much.”
Izuno was deeply religious and a student leader of the Navigators, an international Christian ministry with locations at dozens of universities in the United States, including UC Davis. When her fellow students learned of her death, they began sharing stories and memories, according to James Tsang, the interim campus director of the Navigators at UC Davis.
One word continuously used by friends to describe Izuno is faithful.
“She was faithful in caring for the people in our group, faithful in being a leader for our group,” Tsang said. “If Bri said she was going to do something, I had no doubt it would not only get done, but get done well.
“She was really faithful in pursuing God.”
In high school, Izuno was a national honor society student and leader on campus, her mother said.
Izuno loved all things French, her mother said and spoke the language fluently.
“Anything related to France: history, style. She had a passion to study there one day,” her mother said.
Her stepfather, Dan Levin, shared a passion for the San Francisco Giants and working on cars with Izuno. One of his favorite memories is taking Izuno to her first Giants game at AT&T Park on June 12, 2013, which turned out to be a perfect game by Matt Cain.
Levin admits it was Izuno who first realized Cain was in the midst of a perfect game.
“She was a passionate fan,” Levin said. “She watched all the games. She followed the stats. We went to many games together.”
Cynthia Levin believes her daughter was driving to Sutter Buttes on a road she had traveled numerous times with her mother but as a passenger. Levin said Izuno was very organized and relied on post-it notes to stay on track. On the morning she died, she had relied on a handful of post in notes that indicated she would wake up at 5 a.m., bring her Bible and drive to Sutter Buttes.
The California Highway Patrol’s preliminary investigation indicates Izuno was trying to pass a big-rig when the crash occurred.
“She didn’t have experience driving on this highway on this very foggy day,” Cynthia Levin said.
Izuno’s friends at UC Davis are continuing to mourn her loss but remain hopeful because of the faith they shared with her.
“There is hope we’ll see her again,” Tsang said. “For us, in the midst of the pain, that brings comfort and hope.”
Izuno is also survived by father; Doug Izuno; two brothers, Garrett Izuno and Cole Levin; and a sister, Ashley Levin.
A celebration of life memorial will be held for Brianna Izuno on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Spark Church, located within the synagogue Congregation Etz Chayim, 4161 Alma Street in Palo Alto.
A memorial fund has been created to honor Brianna Izuno and her work with the UC Davis student Christian group. Donations will help create a leadership program for the purpose of ministering to female students with the UC Davis Navigators. Donations can be made at the website https://donations.navigators.org/SpecialPages/DonorMaster/staffDonation?id=A24001036
Contact Mark Gomez at 408-920-5869 and follow him at Twitter.com/MarkMgomez.
