The Stanford community lost its second undergraduate in recent weeks when undergraduate Cady Hine died April 1 at her home in Palo Alto.
Hine was born in Whittier, Calif., and grew up in Seal Beach, Calif. She later lived in San Francisco before beginning her freshman year at Stanford in the fall of 2005. After taking time away from the University, Hine returned to Stanford in winter 2012 as a junior majoring in English.
Hine is survived by her father, Jim; stepmother, Martha; and brother, Andrew.
Hine co-founded Stanford Peace of Mind, a group whose mission is to address mental health issues on campus, reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and connect students to mental health resources on campus.
“She was really honest about the struggles she had been through in life, both things she had dealt with personally and things she responded to,” Koren Bakkegard, associate dean in the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Research, said to The Daily.
Hine was a frequent presence in the grief group organized by the Office for Religious Life, Residential Education and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) following her mother’s death by suicide in the summer of 2006. She also volunteered with Track Watch to patrol the Palo Alto railroad crossings after four local high school students committed suicide.
“We came to know and admire her as a brave and forthright advocate for student wellness, literally putting her body where her mouth was,” said Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, senior associate dean for Religious Life, in a letter to the Stanford community published in The Daily.
“I think we started a conversation that there’s still some remnants of with student wellness work with BeWell at Stanford and iThrive,” Karlin-Neumann said.
Karlin-Neumann added that she thinks the most significant thing is to try to instigate another conversation about student mental health on campus in the wake of Hine’s death and that of student-athlete Sam Wopat. Wopat died at Stanford Hospital after attempting suicide during the last week of winter quarter this year.
According to University administrators, Hine’s father informed the University of his daughter’s death. Administrators said they are not aware of Hine’s cause of death. According to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office, the public record of Hine’s death, including cause, may not be released for up to 10 weeks.
An online guestbook has been created in Hine’s memory at Legacy.com. Donations in Hine’s name can be made to Bridge Peer Counseling Center, 581 Capistrano Way, Stanford, CA 94305.