I hope that this note makes it to Jadelin's family. My name is Christina and I was an undergraduate in the Department of Archaeology at Stanford when Jadelin worked there. I was cleaning out my email inbox just now and came across a series of emails from her. That prompted me to look up what she was doing these days, and it's with a heavy heart I came across this page. I have since gone through and read the email correspondence I had with Jadelin during the 2015-2016 academic year. She never ceased to encourage and uplift others; one would never have known of her internal battles. Jadelin was a light in our academic community at Stanford. She made others feel valued and was one of the best administrative staff I have ever come into contact with. (I have since gone onto pursue graduate degrees in two universities in the UK - no one surpasses Jadelin's organisational and pastoral skills). I am so terribly sorry to hear of this news, admittedly late, and I want to let your family know that I am holding you close in my heart and prayers. I will be lighting a candle for Jadelin tonight. She left us all too soon, and I will endeavour to make her proud in continuing my academic career. In the year that we interacted, Jadelin made a point of getting to know all of us students (I wasn't even a major - just a minor). Her emails reminded me of the care she put into making sure we felt known and that we had potential and a future. With love and deepest sympathy, Christina Smith (Stanford BA 2016)
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Jadelin,
I've thought about what to write to you for months after learning of your passing by Googling your name and reading your obituary. I thought you were on one of your social media fasts but when you weren't responding to texts and I couldn't find any updated posts or articles, I suspected the worst. Although we didn't know each other for very long, all of our conversations held great depth. When you shared with me that you were depressed but not as depressed as in the past, I felt we would one day speak with more transparency about this. When I shared with you about managing cPTSD and having my own experience with depression and suicidal ideation, I hoped you felt that whatever you might want to share would be safe with me...I've wondered how I got this wrong, yet also believe that if you really did want someone to know, you would have told at least one trusted person.
I feel so strongly that you were asking great big questions about life and work that didn't have good answers; that you were so creatively far beyond what employment institutions value and frankly just too smart and too good for the ordinary. While watching you weigh options and test ideas, I believed you would land on something interesting and on the edge of something transformative. I wonder about what is to happen with your unfinished ideas. I don't even have the words to describe how unbelievable it is that you are no longer here with all of your creative sparking, ideating, and connecting. I wonder if this felt too immense and impossible, or if you were just tired of feeling terrible while trying so hard to exist all the time. I wonder if it was the financial pressure that became too much, or if it was something else we never even talked about. Whatever it was, I wonder, and I wish there had been some other way to support you.
I really loved the beautiful colors you put in your hair and the way you made friends wherever you went. I admired your wide open mind. It made me smile when you wrote "rad" and "dope." But more than anything, I appreciated knowing you as someone who valued kindness and integrity-that is hard to find. I thought you were just marvelous in every way.
Much love,
Jordana
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Happy birthday beautiful. Miss you girl...
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Dear Jadelin,
I’ll never forget how much you loved receiving heartfelt cards on significant occasions, especially your birthday. You’d give me sweet reminders so that I could write something special. I’m going to continue this tradition. I hope it’s healing for me. I hope these messages make it through to wherever your energy exists. I hope they contribute to the beautiful power you shared on this plane of existence and that they sustain and build your energy wherever it now resides.
I’ll never forget our time together; I think it was the best era of your adult life, knowing it was for me too. It’s been hard going through your stuff though I know you’d love that I’m sharing it with the people you loved and those I connect with. Your ashes were just spread in a few of your favorite places on your home island; I’m so glad they are going to the waters you loved so dearly, the warm Kailua ocean you grew up in, the beautiful alpine waters of the Sierra that we played in and the pacific that you ritually stepped into.
Things are getting fractionally better for me. When I’m through this depression, I’ll find impressive ways to honor your memory towards making the world a better place, to honor you and build mental health awareness, to honor you and protect the ocean, to honor you and live sustainably, to honor you and contribute to your everlasting legacy.
I love you. Goodbye.
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Sorry My friend. Hope otherwise things are at least fair? Times are much tougher today. John Olin
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I was Jadelin’s professor. She was a student of mineat the University of San Francisco. Jadelin was such a beautiful ray of sunshine. I had the honor of having her as a student on my classroom and also supporting on her MA thesis, which is still one of the best I have ever seen. She stayed in touch after graduation and I always loved seeing her name pop up on my phone because she had sent a text. She would update me on the new happenings in her life, but she also always had some big idea or project she was working on which she wanted to share. She was such a bright, bright light. Jadelin has left a lasting imprint on all of us at USF.
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2023, 434 Custom Waikiki Tattoo Shop, Ena Road, Honolulu, HI, USA
Tattoos are my love language. The meaning(s) run deep with me and Jadelin knew this! While in Honolulu this past weekend, I wanted to honor Pikake and my relationship with her .....What a beautiful moment to experience in her homeland. Love you, Jadelin!
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2021, Menlo College, El Camino Real, Atherton, CA, USA
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2013, Menlo College, El Camino Real, Atherton, CA, USA
Jadelin and her co-workers!
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2020, San Francisco, CA, USA
Loved spending quality time with you. You were always a bright light ❤️
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2023, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
Aunty taking Kira in the tide pools
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Merrick and Jadelin stopped in Albany, Oregon to see me on their way up north. I had just moved here and was feeling kind of lonely, so good timing. This was my first time meeting Jadelin. We met in a little German bakery/coffee shop and sat and talked for over an hour, maybe two, I don't know. It was easy to be with and talk with Jadelin. If I had known she went by Pikake I would have called her that... it's one of my favorite flowers. It fits her. When we parted that day I felt grateful knowing Merrick had truly met the love of his life. My nephew was happy :)
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