North Jersey teen’s legacy lives on with opening of ‘Khameryn’s Kloset’ at high school

North Jersey teen’s legacy lives on with opening of ‘Khameryn’s Kloset’ at high school

PASSAIC − From a young age, Khameryn Oliver was always searching for ways to make a difference in her community as a member of the Girl Scouts.

Sadly, she did not get to complete her latest, most ambitious project after a March car crash that claimed her life two months later.

But those closest to Oliver wanted to ensure her name would live on through her initiative created to help others in need. On Thursday, that vision became a reality at Passaic High School.

A sign welcomes visitors to "Khameryn's Kloset" in a room of the Passaic High School library Thursday, July 18, 2024. The room is named in honor of Khameryn Oliver, 17, who started the project as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award before her death in a car crash May 8.

A sign welcomes visitors to “Khameryn’s Kloset” in a room of the Passaic High School library Thursday, July 18, 2024. The room is named in honor of Khameryn Oliver, 17, who started the project as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award before her death in a car crash May 8.

Family members, school officials and others in Girl Scout Troop 95322 gathered in the high school library to celebrate the opening of “Khameryn’s Kloset.” The room provides a central location for students to take any personal items they need, including toothbrushes, wipes, lotion, combs and feminine hygiene products.

Oliver, 17, died after nearly two months in a coma following the March 16 crash on County Road 508 in Kearny that also killed her parents, Rhakeem Oliver and Shavonn Stewart-Oliver. Stewart-Oliver was vice principal of School 6 in Passaic at the time of her death.

Oliver was posthumously honored with the Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, for her project at Thursday’s ceremony. She had already planned out the initiative and was beginning to solicit donations prior to the fatal crash, according to her longtime Girl Scout troop leader, Kristy Wellins.

“Her vision was to bring supplies and products to people who may be experiencing some sort of crisis, whether it’s homelessness or a fire at their home or just some sort of need that was not being fulfilled,” Wellins said. “She said, ‘I know that I can bring people together to help fulfill that need.'”

Personal hygiene products line the shelves of "Khameryn's Kloset," which opened in the Passaic High School library Thursday, July 18, 2024. The project is named for Khameryn Oliver, a 17-year-old who started the initiative prior to her death in a car crash May 8.

Personal hygiene products line the shelves of “Khameryn’s Kloset,” which opened in the Passaic High School library Thursday, July 18, 2024. The project is named for Khameryn Oliver, a 17-year-old who started the initiative prior to her death in a car crash May 8.

Oliver was a student at Paramus Catholic and member of the indoor track team.

On Thursday, Khameryn Oliver’s grandmother, Karen, and great-uncle, Robert, were on hand to accept the Gold Award certificate and pin from Charisse Taylor, chief program officer of the Girls Scouts of Northern New Jersey.

“Earning the highest award in Girl Scouting celebrates your contributions to today’s world and to our collective future,” Taylor read from the certificate. “It certifies your ability as a leader and a positive force who has changed the world for a better tomorrow.”

Charisse Taylor, chief program officer of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, right, presents Khameryn Oliver with a posthumous Gold Award for the opening of "Khameryn's Kloset" Thursday, July 18, 2024. Looking on are Khameryn's great-uncle Robert Oliver, left, and grandmother Karen Oliver.

Charisse Taylor, chief program officer of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, right, presents Khameryn Oliver with a posthumous Gold Award for the opening of “Khameryn’s Kloset” Thursday, July 18, 2024. Looking on are Khameryn’s great-uncle Robert Oliver, left, and grandmother Karen Oliver.

Robert Oliver thanked the roughly 50 attendees who came out to support the family, saying, “I’m sure my nephew Rhakeem and his beautiful wife would have been so proud of Khameryn to be here.” He called his great-niece’s project “truly an asset to this city that we all grew up in.”

Khameryn’s Kloset

Khameryn’s Kloset is the latest facet of the partnership started this year between Passaic and Full Service Community Schools, a program that provides various community resources to give students a brighter future. Upcoming plans in the district include the establishment of a mental health clinic, a food pantry and a professional mentorship program.

A sign inside "Khameryn's Kloset" remembers Khameryn Oliver, the founder of the initiative, and her parents, Rhakeem Oliver and Shavonn Stewart-Oliver, in the Passaic High School library Thursday, July 18, 2024. All three died from injuries sustained in a March 16 car crash.

A sign inside “Khameryn’s Kloset” remembers Khameryn Oliver, the founder of the initiative, and her parents, Rhakeem Oliver and Shavonn Stewart-Oliver, in the Passaic High School library Thursday, July 18, 2024. All three died from injuries sustained in a March 16 car crash.

Wellins, who is also the Full Service associate project director, said the partnership allows the program to expand even further than Khameryn Oliver ever imagined. But whenever students stop in to Khameryn’s Kloset for some necessary items, the sign above the door will always remind them who set everything in motion.

“She was thinking, ‘I’ll just do this one little project,'” Wellins said. “But look at us all here today and how much inspiration and how many lives she’s touched.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passaic High School honors teen killed in car crash

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