Dozens of people gathered to retrace the route that was taken by the Louisa college student Michaela Mickey Shunick, who mysteriously vanished while out for a bike ride last Saturday.

Friends, family and volunteers began retracing Shunick's route on Thursday that she followed early Saturday morning. The FBI, U.S. Marshals and local police agencies are all involved in the hunt for the 22-year-old senior from the University of Louisiana, reported ABC.

Brettly Wilson was with Shunick on the night she disappeared. Shunick was leaving Wilson's house around 2 a.m. after a night out.

I asked her to be safe ... I saw her get to the driveway and that was the last time I saw her, Wilson said.

On Tuesday, hundreds gathered to pray for the safe return of Shunick at a candle light vigil. Those who knew Shunick shared stories about her and pleaded for her safe return, reported KLFY. At the vigil, they offered a reward of $20,000 for any information leading to her. Searches by K-9 units, police officials and volunteers have all come up empty. Police do not even have lead. However, her family remains confident they will find her.

I think she's OK, I think she's alive. I think she's out there, Mickey's sister, Charlene told KATC-TV.

Shunick's older sister, continued to say that she never would have left to go home on her own.

She's my mini-me, she said, reported ABC. She's one of my best friends and I just miss her and I want to know what's going on.

Her father said that what is most difficult about this whole incident is the uncertainty about the fate of his daughter.

If she has been taken by somebody, where is she? What are they doing to her? It's better being around people like over here. It's tougher when you're alone at night, Tom Shunick told ABC News.

Her family said that they do not believe anyone wanted to harm her. They do not believe she had any enemies.

Her father is grateful for the outpouring of support. However, he wishes the search had started earlier.

None of the video cameras got checked over the weekend because the managers weren't in and waited two days to check the video cameras, he said, referring to security footage of various establishments she visited or might have passed by, reproted Lafayette newspaper The Advertiser. If somebody has abducted her and taken her on the interstate [highway] or something, they got a two-day head start.

The family also said that Mickey always carried mace with her in case she was ever attacked.

Friends and family will continue to search until she turns up.

We're going to see her soon, we're going to get her home and this is going to be over soon, Wilson said.

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