Katie Meyer, Stanford’s star soccer player dies by suicide; it was a shock to all. Only a few months away from graduation, the goalie was found “dead in her dorm room”  on March 1, 2022.

 Meyer was “a senior who helped secure the 2019 NCAA championship title for the Cardinal,” Stella Chan explains in her article published by CNN.

 “I don’t even think it’s hit us yet,… We’re still in shock. But we had no red flags.” Katie’s mother expressed in an interview with “TODAY”

“She was excited and she had a lot on her plate, and she had a lot going on, but she was happy. She was in great spirits,”. Her mother continues to explain that she sounded happy and normal while talking to her. 

“She was the usual jovial Katie,” Katie’s Dad added on.

“There is anxiety and there is stress to be perfect, to be the best, to be number one,” Katie’s mother includes in the interview. Katie always wanted to be the best at everything she set her mind to and there was always pressure to be perfect. 

While looking for any reason why Katie would do such a thing, her parents think Katie got an email from Stanford regarding disciplinary action.

“Katie, being Katie, was defending a teammate on campus over an incident and the repercussions of her defending that teammate (were possibly resulting in disciplinary action),” Steven Meyer said on TODAY.

Her parents didn’t see the email, but apparently, Katie was receiving letters regarding this for a few months and there was going to be a trial for it; this was the only reason why her parents could come up with why she would do this.

“Our entire community is devastated by Katie’s death, and we share our deepest condolences with Katie’s family and everyone who knew her at Stanford, across the country, and around the world. Katie touched so many lives. We are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters. We as a university community continue to grieve with Katie’s family and cherish our memories of her.” Stanford included.

With the stresses of soccer and the disciplinary actions, Katie’s parents believe this is why she did it and want to bring awareness to parents and college administrators as well as the pressures of being an athlete and the idea of having to be perfect. 

Katie’s mother describes how college administrators never reach out to parents due to the fact of most students are over 18.

She ends the interview with “We’re just we’re struggling right now,” Gina said. “We are struggling to know what happened, and why it happened. We’re just heartbroken, so heartbroken.”

 If you are in crisis and would like to talk to someone, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Both services are free, confidential, and available 24/7or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.