The Stanford University community and the family of one of its brightest stars are mourning a devastating loss.
Katie Meyer, the 22-year-old team captain and goalkeeper for the Stanford women's soccer team, was found dead inside her campus residence. A member of the 2019 NCAA Championship team, Katie also majored in international relations and minored in history while serving as a resident assistant.
The news of Katie's death rocked the campus where she was so beloved. For days, fans and friends alike sought out answers around Katie's death. Tragically, those answers make matters no less heartbreaking.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
On March 1, Stanford University alerted its community to the death of an undergraduate student at a campus residence. At the time, the university didn't release the student's identity or cause of death but assured students there were no threats to the campus.
The next day, Stanford confirmed the death of a beloved member of its community, 22-year-old Katie Meyer. Katie was a senior international relations major and team captain and goalkeeper on the Stanford soccer team.
"Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world," the statement read.
"Her friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline she said 'changed my perspective on the world and the very important challenges that we need to work together to overcome' to the passion she brought to the Cardinal women's soccer program and to women's sports in general."
"Fiercely competitive, Katie made two critical saves in a penalty shootout against North Carolina to help Stanford win its third NCAA women’s soccer championship in 2019. Katie was a bright shining light for so many on the field and in our community," the statement continued.
"There are no words to express the emptiness that we feel at this moment. We are reaching out to all of you in our community, because this impacts all of us. Please know you are not alone. There are resources available to support us during this difficult time. We can all help by checking in on friends and loved ones. Be caring to yourselves and one another. We will grieve this great loss together, and we will be here for each other."
Initially, the only members of the Meyer family to speak out were Katie's two sisters, Sam Perez and Siena Meyer.
"There are no words," Sam wrote on Instagram.
"Thank you for all the kindness extended to my family. I'm not ready to post anything big yet. We are broken-hearted and love Kat so much."
"No words," Siena simply wrote, with a link to a fundraiser.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Meyer family with funeral expenses and to support Katie's parents, Steve and Gina, and her two sisters through this difficult time. It surpassed its original goal of $100,000.
On March 3, the County of Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner released a statement announcing Katie's cause of death.
"There is no indication of foul play, and Meyer's death was determined to be self-inflicted," the statement read.
Katie's parents appeared on Today. They confirmed that Katie died by suicide.
"The last couple days are like a parent's worst nightmare and you don't wake up from it," Gina said.
"So it's just horrific."
