Student Memorials

We honor all Spartans and remember those we have lost while pursuing their education. 

See the locations and view the memorials placed each year in their honor.

Resources for Families

A Few Tips For the Grieving: 

1. Be aware and remember that grief impacts ALL areas of life. It’s normal to experience changes in the following areas: 
   • Physical- appetite, energy levels, sleep, headaches, tightness in chest, etc. 
   • Mental- forgetfulness, poor concentration, low motivation, memory problems, etc. 
   • Emotional- anxiety, mood swings, crying, irritability, hopelessness, depression, etc. 
   • Relational- loneliness, isolation, fewer contacts, lack of connectedness, etc. 
   • Spiritual- emptiness, loss of faith, doubt, loss of meaning/ direction, etc. 
2. Grief is a normal reaction and is different for each person. Try not to judge your grief.  Grief is a unique process, and you are the best judge of what is right for you. Try not to impose artificial standards of how you ‘should’ be feeling, or how long your grief should last or how it should look. 
3. Consider joining a support group. Being with others who “get it” can be immensely helpful. 
4. Remember self- care. Grief is exhausting and you are susceptible to illness while grieving. Remember to eat, drink plenty of fluids and try and get rest when you can. 
5. Many people use the words to grieve and to mourn interchangeably. However, they don’t have the same meanings and understanding the differences and the importance of doing both can be helpful. Grief is all the internal thoughts and feelings we have when someone we love dies. Mourning is when you take the grief you have on the inside and express it outside yourself. Talking about the person who died, crying, expressing thoughts and feelings through art, music, journaling, and celebrating special anniversary dates that held meaning for the person who died are just a few examples of mourning. 
6. Remember your grief is unique and forever changing. Try and tell people what you might need when they ask how they can help. Try not to isolate yourself from others for too long even when it takes extra effort to stay connected. 
7. Don’t try and run from your grief by using alcohol or drugs, working all the time, or engaging in other strategies to avoid the pain of grief. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts through grief. Being with the grief and allowing all the feelings to show up is the most helpful way through the pain of grief. Let your feelings out by talking, writing in a journal, through physical activity or in some other way that is meaningful to you. 
8. Find meaningful ways to remember and commemorate the person who died. 
9. Grief can feel scary and destabilizing. Don’t be afraid of your grief. Befriend it. 
10. “Grief I’ve learned is just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with nowhere to go.”

Bereavement

• Grieve Well
• Compassionate Friends
• Grief Share
• Grief Share: Locate Support Groups by Zipcode
• MISS Foundation
• Tender Hearts
• Child Palliative
• Bereaved Parents of the USA
• What's Your Grief
• Grief Net
• Open to Hope
• Siblings by Heart
• The Dougy Center
• Ele's Place
• Proud Parents of Loss

Suicide Prevention

• Save
• Suicide: Questions Most Frequently Asked
• Suicide: Common Misconceptions
• Surviving a Suicide Loss Resource and Healing Guide
• American Foundation of Suicide Prevention

Grief and the Holidays