A top student who was killed in a car crash on Monday has been described as a role model for all women at her university.
Mirela Slavova, known to her friends as Mira, was killed in a head-on collision with another car near Toll of Birness.
It is understood the 22-year-old from Bulgaria was travelling to her industrial placement with Shell at the St Fergus gas terminal at the time of the accident.
Last night friend and Robert Gordon University student body vice-president Steve Mills said: “It has really hit everyone hard.
“As a union officer I felt it was important to pay special tribute to a fellow RGU student, but as a personal friend I really want to let everyone know what a wonderful person she was.”
Miss Slavova moved to Aberdeen from Bulgaria to study forensics at RGU in 2011 and was a founding member of the university’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) society.
Mr Mills continued: “She became the committee’s women’s officer, standing up as a role model not just for LGBT, but for all women at RGU.
“Mira was such a colourful character and so popular. The news has put such a cloud over campus, she will be sorely missed.”
Miss Slavova was driving north on the A952 towards St Fergus in a white Vauxhall Corsa when she was involved in a collision with a silver Volvo XC90 travelling in the opposite direction.
Emergency services were alerted at 7.35am and rushed to the crash site but despite the efforts of paramedics, Miss Slavova died at the scene.
She has been described by the university as “the top student in her year”.
Catherine Inverarity, course leader and senior lecturer at RGU, said: “The university community has been shocked by the untimely death of Mirela.
“She was the top student in her year, achieving straight As and passed every year of her course with distinction.
“She was expected to graduate with a first class honours in forensic and analytical science and had a fantastic career ahead of her.
“Mirela was highly committed to everything she did, was so full of life and a joy to teach. She will be sadly missed by all staff and students who knew her at RGU.”