The family of a woman who was killed in an Manhattan subway incident last week say she was an aspiring actress who moved to the city to chase her dream.

Helen McDonald-Phalon was killed around 3 a.m. Saturday after being dragged onto a Union Square subway track by a No. 6 train. MTA officials say it was a horrible and uncommon incident that is under investigation.

The 21-year-old from South Carolina moved to New York to attend a performing arts college as she tried to achieve her dream of making it on a Broadway stage. Her mother Ann McDonald says, "She was exuberant, she was passionate, she was kind, she was everybody's friend."

McDonald-Phalon often posted videos to her YouTube channel showing off her talents.

Ann McDonald says people from all over the world have reached out to her, telling her of the impact her daughter left on their lives.

"She taught them let them bring themselves out," says McDonald. "The world lost a lot when they lost Helen."

Family and friends will gather Saturday to celebrate Helen's life with stories, food, singing and dancing.