Author: Kate Fagan

Any death of a young person is a tragic one.

In this instance, we get an inside look at what pushed a young superstar track athlete to throw herself off the ninth floor of a parking garage during her second semester at the University of Pennsylvania.

As someone committed to the hearts and minds of young people today, I have a soft spot for trying to make sense of their struggles and joys. I’ve always been very bothered by those who want to throw young people under the bus by reaching for simple explanations for their behaviour.

I’ve always maintained that those who complain about this generation have obviously never met them.

And the life left behind by Maddy is a great insight into what’s happening. While Fagan intersperses her own life with Maddy’s, and takes some liberties over what Maddy could be thinking, the artifacts left behind give us a glimpse behind the curtain.

I was struck hard, but not surprised, of how the theme of identity plays throughout Maddy’s story. In a brilliant exposé, one that should be copied everywhere, she brilliantly articulates the dehumanizing mindset the world places on young people today (page 112). She points tot his as a major contributing factor to the skyrocketing levels of anxiety that have been trending for many years now.

Even though there was so much written here (and a big kudos to her family for allowing Fagan unfettered access to Maddy’s belongings), we can never really get the full story. A person’s thoughts always remains with them and the breadcrumbs they leave are only clues.

But, if there’s an opportunity to get some real self-reflection and action to prevent another tragedy from happening again, we owe our thanks for what was written here. This is a story that should be read.