By Landen Braunstein and Geneva Huang
The Costa community mourns the loss of alum Ryan James, who graduated just last June. His passing marks the third passing of a student for the Manhattan Beach community over the past year, all three of whom were from the class of 2025.
James passed away in his dorm on Oct. 14, suffering from an epileptic seizure. He had just begun his freshman year at UCLA studying business economics.
“Ryan was a very dedicated student,” said Model United Nations (MUN) teacher Annie Choi. “What- ever he was going through, he never let that get in the way of what he wanted to do.”
During his years at Costa, James participated in MUN, cross country, Link Crew, and the Friendship Foundation. With the Friendship Foundation, he served on the Teen Advisory Board and as a Walk Team Leader, and helped to fundraise and outreach for the program. Over the summer, he was a camp counselor and continued organizing social, arts, and sporting events.
“For the past two summers, Ryan and I were co-counselors at Friendship Camp,” Costa alum Aaron Henschel posted. “He never failed to give 100%, both for the campers and for his fellow co- counselors. Whenever I saw my name next to Ryan’s on the whiteboard at the start of the day, I’d take a big sigh of relief…I knew the day would run twice as smoothly with such a strong leader by my side.”
Costa senior Brenna Traudt also worked at the summer camp with James and Henschel.
“He was one of my leaders,” Traudt said. “The entire week he made sure I was okay, and helped me handle difficult situations. My experience would have been different without his kindness and guidance.”
In addition to his commitment to the Friendship Foundation, James was an integral member of the MUN program, representing Costa in Phil- adelphia, New York, and Berkeley.
“My freshmen all really liked him,” Choi said. “Some of the kids who didn’t have him as a teacher’s assistant (TA) would still go to Coffee Bean to work with him. He’s such a nice guy and always willing to go the extra mile to help people.”
Costa alum Riley Trotter, who was also involved in the program, made a post on the platform Keeper reflecting on the first time that she and James were partnered together their freshmen year.
“When I asked my TAs in freshman year why they paired me up with Ryan for our dual debate in MUN, they simply responded: “because your names sounded funny together,”” Trotter posted. “[It] was immediately clear to me that my partner would soon become one of the most dedicated, kind, and thoughtful people I know.”
James was also a member of Link Crew his junior and senior years at Costa. Link Crew advisor Maddie Hutchinson said that he was once one of six leaders to show up over the summer and help reach out to new freshmen students. James often put himself out there in order to help others.
“Ryan was someone who would go above and beyond,” Hutchinson said. “Especially as someone who wasn’t in the class and didn’t have specific carved out time, he still found ways to step up and be present in the program.”
Not only was he a mentor and friend to classmates through his leadership in Link Crew and MUN, but also a track mentor for the Special Olympics, where he shared his passion for running with those with intellectual disabilities. In cross country, James typically ran the 800 (1/2 mile), 1600 (1 mile), and 3200 (2 miles).
“He was a leader by nature and he could naturally motivate the team, but more importantly he inspired the team every day,” said Costa senior and cross country athlete Nate Williams. “Even when suffering with asthma, epilepsy, and a punctured lung he still showed up ready to work and gave every run his all.”
Williams recalls James’ bucket list goal of running a marathon. A few days prior to his passing, he successfully completed his marathon after coming back from an injury, running all the way from MB to Terrenea in PV and back. James organized the whole thing on his own with his dad next to him on a bike calling his paces.
“He worked harder than anyone else on the team even though he knew his medical conditions would limit his performances,” Williams said. ”He was more than a teammate, he was a brother to everyone.”
According to Williams, James would talk to anyone on the cross country team in need and invite people to his house after practice to lift. James pushed through every challenge to be the best version of himself, and he was a friend to everyone he met.
“Ryan helped people feel heard, feel included, and he made them feel like they have a place in the world,” Traudt said. “He touched the lives and souls of so many. I know he not only helped me feel like this, but so many other people that he interacted with. He will forever be remembered at the Friendship Foundation.”
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