Funeral services will be held Saturday for a 19-year-old former Pleasanton resident who died in a snowboarding accident just weeks after realizing her lifelong dream of becoming a U.S. citizen.

Aline Christina Martins was snowboarding with her older brother at the Dodge Ridge ski resort in Pinecrest on Monday when the two became separated on the trails. A search and rescue team found her a few hours later in a snow pocket between trees where, authorities said, it appears she was suffocated by fresh powder.

Now friends and family are in mourning as they prepare to lay to rest the woman who on Jan. 29 accomplished her goal of becoming a citizen in the country she came to with her family at age 3.

"Becoming a citizen was extremely important to her," said Martins' mother, Adenise Medeiros.

"We went to the ceremony in L.A., and Aline said, 'Before, I always felt like an American, but now I can stand up and proudly say I'm an American.' She loved so many people and was given so much love, she considered her home here."

Martins was born in Brazil, the second of three children to Medeiros and Armelio Martins, who moved the family to Pleasanton when Aline was 3 and stayed until she was 17. The family recently moved from San Ramon to Danville.

Aline took independent study courses to graduate early from Amador Valley High School in 2007. As a teen, Martins was a model, played soccer and gymnastics and loved to baby-sit.

Martins recently had been working as a nanny and taking child psychology courses at a community college in Santa Barbara in pursuit of her passion for working with children.
Last semester, Medeiros said, Aline earned a 4.0 grade point average.

"We were so proud of her, you have no idea," Medeiros said. "Aline was a free spirit. She did everything she wanted to do. She tried her best always and was so kind to everyone. I couldn't ask for anything else in a daughter. She was my little angel."

She came up from Santa Barbara to Danville last Friday to spend time with her family during the holiday weekend.

Medeiros said she feels fortunate to have spent Saturday night and all of Sunday with her daughter window shopping at Stoneridge mall and helping her baby-sit two young children.

The family's devastation over losing Aline has been softened by the flood of love and support from friends.

"It is comforting to know she was very loved by a lot of people," Medeiros said. "They are really helping me during this hard time."