Welsh died Saturday morning after being attacked by an intruder in her home.
As the suspect in the case, Ryan Camacho, 36, is being held without bond, former students remembered Welsh.
Michael Nicholson said he can't fathom what happened to his teacher.
"It's tough to see something like that in a situation that transpired. You obviously see these things in the news and you see these things happen. You know, overall just to our communities. But you never think it's you. You never think it's going to be you until you know it happens," Nicholson said.
Nicholson graduated from Ravenscroft in 2023, and now goes to Appalachian State. He says when he first went to Ravenscroft, Welsh was the first teacher to welcome students in the hallways, inspiring many by teaching biology and science.
"She was just really kind of really sweet soul and she always, she's always had a smile on her face. She was always happy about just coming to work happy and sharing. And she really loved her, her craft, and just loved what she taught," Nicholson said. "And I mean, all the people that had her always said she was a lovely teacher. I never heard one bad thing about her."
The loss made is tougher by questions about Camacho's lengthy criminal history, with 24 arrests and a recent breaking and entering case where Camacho was deemed unable to proceed and a judge denied prosecutor's requests to have him involuntarily committed.
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Students are wondering whether the loss of their teacher could have been prevented.
"Just just how how did it happen? How how do we how do we let this kind of thing happen continuously? How do we let, you know, people that need the mental health counseling or need to be rehabilitated out and just how do we let people in our streets to have that happen?" Nicholson said.
In the meantime, Ravenscroft is coming together to remember one of its own.
"She was just a part of that community and she represented them really well. She represented, you know, the Ravenscroft culture of love and care and compassion," Nicholson said. "And I can't ever think enough for that school, but also think enough for her for bringing that every day to, you know, us, the student, and empowering us and loving us and and bring a smile or face that sometimes you just always needed."