On a winter afternoon, Kiarra Bautista’s life changed forever. It was December 30, of 2025, the final stretch of winter break, when students should have been preparing for another semester at Las Positas.
And just a block away from the college on Tranquility Circle —a place that became far from its name that day. Kiarra and her boyfriend, Tyson Tran, were involved in a devastating three-car collision around four in the afternoon.
Tran was concussed with a sprained ankle and muscle soreness. He was able to walk again in just a week.
But Kiarra was transported by helicopter to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, severely injured.
On that December day, Kiarra, a journalism major, a champion Talk Hawk and actress fondly known as “Kiwi,” was looking forward to her final semester before transfer. The accident left her paralyzed.
After spending several weeks in Castro Valley’s Eden Medical Center, Kiarra is now receiving specialized care at UC Davis Medical Center. She will soon be transferred to a facility in Santa Clara for rehab.
Since the accident, Kiarra has undergone numerous surgeries and medical procedures, including a groundbreaking surgery that saved her life. She has been diagnosed with a severe spinal cord injury that has left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe. She remains in intensive care, where her medical team continues to closely monitor her condition and carefully evaluate next steps and long-term treatment options.
At Las Positas, Kiarra is nothing short of exemplary. A journalism major deeply involved across campus, she contributes to the speech and debate team, the Talk Hawks, writes for The Express newspaper and participates in both performances and classes in the theater department. In everything she does, she brings light – a constant smile, a trusting spirit and unmistakable kindness. She is widely cherished by students from all walks of life.
Through all she has experienced since that life-changing moment, she remains optimistic. A tragic accident fully changed her mobility, and she is eager to continue classes at Las Positas, with hopes to return to work on transfer. Her face lights up at mentions of classroom activity. She misses being involved.
Life can change in an instant. We never know when, where, how or who it will be. And in moments like these, the question that weighs heaviest is not just why this happened, but why her?
Kiarra has left an impact on her classrooms. In the fall, she joined the Talk Hawks, the speech and debate team at Las Positas. Being on the team requires incredible mental capacity, memorizing ten-minute-long speeches for competitions across the country. She was working on her fifth speech before the accident. She has competed in many tournaments, one even in New York City, earning fifth place speaker overall there and winning nine awards total.
Kiarra was active in the newsroom as well. In one semester, she was vice president of the Journalism Club and planned and participated in several events, such as movie nights, crafts and tabling for campus events. She also attended the semesterly journalism conference.
As a writer, she hit the ground running, producing seven articles for The Express, including a profile of the Student Government president and a behind-the-scenes of the summer play. She also earned a role writing for “The Independent,” the Livermore newspaper.
In both environments, Bautista thrives. She nurtures a room with ease and selflessness. Wherever she goes, her light touches those around her, warming all she encounters. There is not one word that fits her excellence completely.
KIARRA BAUTISTA reunited with the Talk Hawks at Las Positas College for Talk Hawk Speech Night at the Mertes Center for the Arts on May 8, 2026. Bautista was severely injured in an automobile accident on December 30, 2025. This was her first visit to the campus since the accident. (Photo by Eric Liang/The Express)
What others say about Kiarra
Sunshine: “When she enters a room, she just warms it up, and you can instantly feel her presence. She’s just so warm and bright to everyone and so kind, and it’s unconditional … She has such a big fire to her, too. She’s so ambitious. She achieves everything that she puts her mind to. She’s like the sun. She warms everyone up.” — Kiana Porr, Communication and Theater Major
Illuminating Energy: “I think everywhere she goes, she comes in with such light. Immediately, everyone is just super pumped and excited to get going. She just has this illuminating energy about her that I think is so beautiful.” — Angelina An, Journalism and Media Studies Major
Sweetheart: “I think she’s The Express’ sweetheart. She’s just like the people’s princess. Her laugh is incredibly infectious, and she’s incredibly thoughtful. She’s bright in every sense of the word, and her energy as well.” — Jaxyn Good, Journalism and Media Studies Major
Lively: “I think about this one night. It was me, her and Angelina (An) in the old JAMS room in 2400. It was early in the semester. It was late at night. We were kind of just bored and had nothing to do, so we just started singing and dancing to some karaoke. I remember her just being lively.” — Kian Amininejad, Journalism and Media Studies Major
Graceful, “When I think about her, I think about the ballet-style shoes she would wear. And how everything she does is meticulous and very well thought out. She is always there to listen to people and to help people out. She gives a lot of grace to many people. She was always encouraging me and is one of the reasons I am where I’m at now.” —Milo Jones, Graphic Design and Digital Media Major
Radiant: “Not only because she is brilliant but the way she lights up every single room she goes into. Kindness radiates off of her like beams of light. Her energy is just so warm and caring.” — Claire Aguiar, Communication Studies Major
Energizing: “The energy and the exuberance that Kiarra brings with her wherever she goes — it’s better than any triple shot of espresso that exists anywhere on the planet. Just spending just the smallest amount of time with Kiara, you walk away energized and invigorated and motivated, revitalized, happier and an all-around better person than you were before she came into the room. She is the tide that raises all ships, and we are blessed to know her.” — Tim Heisler, Talk Hawks Coach and Communication Studies Faculty
Warmth: “She’s what reminds me that there is good in the world. She is brightness and light and warmth and the embodiment of all it means to be kind and good of heart.” — Kaitlyn White, Communication and Media Studies Major
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TOP PHOTO: Kiarra Bautista (center) poses for a selfie with Express editors (from left) Annie Moore, Kian Amininejad, Milo Jones, and Sabrina Houssain at the Talk Hawk Speech Night Mertes Center for the Arts on May 8, 2026. Bautista, a staff writer on The Express, a member of the Talk Hawks, and actress, returned to campus for the first time for the performance following an accident and months of recovery. (Photo by Eric Liang/The Express)
Annie Moore is the Sports Editor of The Express. Follow her on X @SanJosAnnie.
