UW honors slain Richland student (w/video)

As the 11:20 a.m. bell rang on the University of Washington campus Wednesday, a crowd formed near the brick monoliths in Red Square.

Representatives from the school’s Health & Wellness program began handing out purple ribbons to the crowd, many of whom already wore purple to promote domestic violence awareness.

Denzil Suite, UW vice president for student life, greeted the 200 who gathered for the vigil to celebrate the life and mourn the death of 22-year-old UW student Katy Straalsund.

The former Columbia Basin College grad died March 22. Her boyfriend of six months, Casey Henderson, a fellow UW student from Richland, is charged with beating and choking her to death.

“Violence does not define who she was as an individual or who we are as a community,” Suite said. “And today we gather as a community to say never again, no more, not on this campus will we ever stand for this level of violence to exist in our community.”

A statement was read on behalf of Straalsund’s family, including her parents Eric and Tracie, who traveled from Richland to attend the vigil.

They thanked friends for the outpouring of support and those who have donated to a GoFundMe page. The money will offset the cost of Straalsund’s memorial and allow them to spread some of her ashes in Spain, where she planned to teach English after graduation in June.

They also intend to use the money for a scholarship and to help a state domestic violence coalition.

Her family thanked the first responders who gave them a few more days with their daughter, and whom they planned to visit while in Seattle.

An emotional Diane Kendall, chairwoman of the department of speech and hearing sciences, remembered Straalsund as a dear friend and enthusiastic learner.

“She asked hard questions (and) she sought learning experiences and opportunities beyond the classroom,” Kendall said. “Her classmates had a valued team member in Katy.”

Straalsund was a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and a receptionist at the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. She planned to become a clinician for people with communication disorders.

The College of Arts & Sciences announced Wednesday that, along with Straalsund’s family, it has established the Katy Straalsund Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund to support undergraduates in speech and hearing sciences.

Part of the vigil also focused on domestic violence. Dana Cuomo and Natalie Dolci, victim advocates for the university and the UW Police Department, highlighted resources available to students and acknowledged other community-based organizations.

Three students from Peer Health Educators urged people at the vigil to take advantage of The Green Dot etc. program, which provides bystander training to students.

After the scheduled speakers, anyone who knew Straalsund was invited to say a few words. A co-worker from Starbucks spoke and her aunt, Melissa Johnson echoed the love people felt for her niece.

The vigil concluded with a moment of silence and a release of purple balloons.

Many lingered — sharing hugs, wiping tears and greeting Straalsund’s parents and other relatives.

“As long as we continue to remember who she was and what she stood for, she will have transformed this campus in truly remarkable ways,” Suite said.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 8:02 PM with the headline "UW honors slain Richland student (w/video)."