Dear Stanford students:

As many of you may already know, the university tragically lost a member of the sophomore class and of the women’s volleyball team on March 25, just as many of you were ending finals and beginning spring break.
Samantha “Sam” Wopat died at Stanford Hospital, where she had been hospitalized since Saturday, March 17. A memorial service for the Stanford community has been scheduled for Memorial Church on Wednesday, April 18, at 1:30 p.m.

The death of a student is one that profoundly affects all of us.  It touches the entire university community.  It is human nature to seek explanations and closure, especially when faced with the issue of death; however, it is not always possible to have the certainty we seek.

It is unlikely that the university will release further information out of respect for the wishes of the Wopat family. I hope that, like the university, each of you will continue to recognize and respect the family’s need for privacy. We hope you will keep them in your thoughts during this difficult time.

The university continues to provide support for Sam’s teammates and friends. It is always incredibly heartbreaking when a member of our community passes away. So I would like to remind you of the campus resources that are available to Stanford students.

They include:

· Residential Education: resident assistants, resident fellows, residence deans

· Counseling and Psychological Services

· Office of Religious Life

· The Bridge Peer Counseling Center

We hope you will seek help from those resources if you need to in order to process the thoughts and feelings that may emerge in the aftermath of Sam’s passing.

Sincerely,

Greg Boardman

Vice Provost for Student Affairs