Mischa Nee ’20 was discovered dead on Saturday after disappearing during a Friday hike with other Stanford undergraduates in Mallorca, Spain.
“Local news reports suggest he fell some distance in difficult, rocky terrain,” wrote Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole in a Saturday email to students, noting that Nee “was exploring a nearby hill” when the other students lost sight of him.
Though local authorities began searching for Nee on Friday, they did not find him until the search resumed on Saturday.
“Nothing in our community is worse than the death of a student, and it is with deep sorrow that I share this news,” Brubaker-Cole wrote.
Stanford initiated its “international emergency response to provide support” in light of Nee’s disappearance. The University has been in contact with Mischa’s family and the other Stanford students in Mallorca.
“That support will continue,” Brubaker-Cole wrote.
Nee participated in the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) twice during his time at Stanford. He studied in Florence, Italy last quarter, and had also spent a quarter in Madrid, Spain.
Nee was a computer science major planning to minor in either art history or studio art. He had worked as a computer science tutor with Breakout Mentors since April 2017, teaching computer programming to children aged 8-13.
He had also served as an event coordinator and graphic designer for Stanford University Dance Marathon, an annual fundraising effort led by students, since October 2016.
Nee attended Palo Alto High School, where he was editor in chief of The Campanile student newspaper.
“He will be deeply missed,” Brubaker-Cole wrote. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends, for whom this is a terrible and heart-wrenching moment.”
Support is available for students through Stanford’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at (650) 498-2336. The Graduate Life Office is available at (650) 736-7078, or 24/7 at (650) 723-8222, pager ID number 25085. The Bridge Peer Counseling Center offers counseling by trained students 24/7 at (650) 723-3392. The Faculty Staff Help Center, located in Kingscote Gardens, offers confidential help for Stanford faculty and staff.
Contact Holden Foreman at hs4man21 ‘at’ stanford.edu.