The roommates of Hailey Brouillet have finally finished painting their apartment. The finished project features an homage to their late roommate, who died Oct. 28 of injuries sustained in a car accident. 

Above the door reads a hand-lettered sign, “enter happy, leave happy… H.M.B.” That phrase is the advice Hailey gave to her roommate Jessica Zacharias just a few days before she died.

Jessica said it helps her and her roommate Autumn Hegner every day.

“I look up and think yeah, I need to be thankful for a lot of things,” Jessica said. “The support from my friends, family and the fact that I’m still here.”

Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Glenn McIntosh and Interim Oakland University President Betty Youngblood both attended Brouillet’s memorial services earlier this month.

“Through this unfortunate tragedy I learned that Hailey was just an outstanding person, student and outstanding contributor to our campus community,” McIntosh said. “I had never been to a funeral where I had seen so many young people mourning the loss of one of their peers and searching for answers. But they just wanted to be supportive of Hailey, her family and each other.”

OU will award Hailey, who was a health sciences major, with a certificate of attendance at OU, at a future commencement, according to McIntosh.

“It’s our way of showing that as a university we appreciate the fact that Hailey was a student at Oakland and very involved with campus and academic life at OU,” McIntosh said.

Hailey is also being remembered in small, personal ways by friends and family.

Michigan State University’s starting kicker, Kevin Muma, wrote Hailey’s initials on his arms for the U of M vs. MSU football game Saturday, Nov. 2.

According to Zacharias, Muma is a Troy High grad and is good friends with Hailey’s boyfriend, Dom Gaudino.

Hailey’s mom, Lori, Hailey’s little sister, Morgan, Jessica and her mom, are going to get tattoos to honor Hailey as well.

The quote they’re thinking of getting is something that Hailey said frequently.

“Every day may not be good, but there’s always good in every day.”