Memorial Scholarship for Madison Holleran
Penn track and field alums express xondolences for runner who died by suicide.
A memorial scholarship, sponsored by Penn track-and-field alumni, has been founded in memory of freshman Madison Holleran, who died by suicide on Jan. 17th. From their fundraising page on the website of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:
"The alumni of the University of Pennsylvania Track and Field team are deeply saddened by the loss of Madison Holleran, a freshman runner on the women's team. Such an intelligent, talented, and graceful student athlete is hard to come by, yet we were fortunate enough to call Madison one of our own.
"Only a fellow student athlete could begin to understand the pressures to be successful both on and off the field while balancing the other demands of college life. While most of our alumni did not know Madison personally, we wish she could have known firsthand the strength of this greater Penn Track and Field community. We wish we had been there with our collective experiences to lean on during her greatest time of need. Indeed, it is mainly through the strength and encouragement of the Penn Track and Field family that we persevered through our own struggles and truly appreciated the significance of our own achievements, both on and off the field, during and after college. No one should feel like it is his or her struggle to go alone; we—like no other—have been in those shoes.
"Madison Holleran will always remain a cherished member of the Penn Track and Field community. Her family, friends, classmates, coaches, and teammates are in our thoughts and prayers. Please join us in supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to honor her memory and prevent suicide from taking shining stars like Madison from us before their time."