Regis University Student Deaths Public Statement

Madelaine Johnson, Regis University Student Body President: I am deeply saddened to confirm the loss of student Ivan Rojas Gallegos, who died by suicide while on a study abroad program in Thailand, and queer student Kai Mitchell, who appears to have died in their sleep. Both students were active members of our community and contributed to the success and inclusion of our University. We will continue to remember their presence and life in our community.

As a student-staff in the resident buildings, I was one of many who responded to the incident when the discovery of Kia Mitchell’s body in Desmet Hall. Upper administration, campus safety, as well as faculty responded immediately and with sincere compassion.

Our newly inaugurated University President, Dr. Aceves, has been extraordinarily present with both students’ families, as well as the Regis community, throughout the last few days. His demonstration of care and responsiveness is a testament to his leadership and to his colleagues’ support.

On the evening of the announcement of Kai’s passing, the campus Chapel was immediately made available for relief and connections, where we gathered to be in solidarity with one another. Being that Regis is a Jesuit institution, during my time here at the University, I have never seen the Jesuit values more embodied and lived out than that evening.

As the first two-terms student body president, I have been privileged to have extensive solution-oriented and student-focused conversations on campus safety, mental health resources, and the well-being of our community with our University leadership.

The University leadership’s response has been one focused on inclusive dialogue with students and the departments that are working to serve our needs and safety. In addressing the need for physical safety on campus, our upper administration and president have shared that Denver police have increased campus patrols and plan to install additional surveillance cameras.

In implementing the necessary steps to ensure students’ safety and well-being, both LGBTQ+ Student Senator Jameson Johnson and I invited queer mental health professionals to our campus Thursday morning. Elisabeth Moolenaar, Alyse Knorr, Kate Partridge, Erin Winterrowd, Becky Vartabedian, and Jason Taylor from the Queer Resource Alliance rallied to support the mental wellbeing of our bereaved students as they aided us on Thursday morning by embracing students with a safe space for us to meet with emergency counselors.

The need for additional mental health resources is crucial to support all students. Therefore, Khesed Wellness, an LGBTQIA2+ mental health organization, has gifted free therapy options for students for the next six months. Organizations such as Queer Asterisk (who was present with us the following morning), One Colorado, and Envision: You responded by providing support to our community as well which are listed below.

A letter addressed to our community from President Dr. Aceves states: “As we focus on immediate and long-term safety strategies, in consultation with our campus safety officers, the newly established campus safety advisory council, which includes student representation, will review current safety efforts, explore new options, and make recommendations on how we can best respond to safety incidents. As part of its overall work, this council will carefully review recent incidents and suggestions received from parents and University community members.” The Safety Tasks force is one such solution that invites students to share their concerns for their campus experience and be met with direct action.

On the student-facing side, the Regis University Student Government Association (RUSGA) leadership has taken direct action to represent students’ concerns with University leadership. All 10 RUSGA leaders have made it their personal mission to embrace each student’s story on a human level with compassion and advocacy. RUSGA has been visible and present when students need us and will remain so.

However, the specific needs of our queer students still require growth. As one of the students we lost was a member of the queer community, our University’s Queer Student Alliance has been in a state of rebuilding since last May. As a student representative, I reached out to the faculty advisors for the QSA and proposed collaboration in implementing queer support for orientation. Their response was that they believed they had adequate resources. This is a resource that is vital for the survival of many of our community members.

I have personally known Kai Mitchell over the past two years as an involved and dedicated student and queer leader. In August, Kai reached out to me and outlined the following concerns and needs for our QSA: 1. Leadership/cabinet attainment 2. Membership 3. Funding for events 4. Partnering with organizations 5. Getting the word out/event attendance 6. Community responsiveness RUSGA has been working directly with students and upper administration to create an atmosphere of inclusivity and diversity. Because the QSA was in a state of rebuilding, other community partners and campus members have mobilized immediate resources and support both in the moment and long term.

The organization One Colorado has developed easy-to-use templates to create a QSA program from scratch. Our LGBTQ+ senator has repeatedly offered this PowerPoint presentation to said faculty since June 2023. Students have repeatedly asked Jameson if Regis has a QSA; however, no one from the QSA has verified their existence to the student senate until their student passed. It is unfortunate that these tragic incidents have occurred in our community. However, they have brought light to the issues associated with these losses. The University must evolve to meet the needs of our new generation of students. Our’s is a generation that has survived COVID-19 isolation, school shootings, and invasive technology and has the highest rate of LGBTQ+ population of any of its predecessors. With the University’s response to these incidents, I am proud that our president is embracing our Jesuit mission and the evolution of these needs by working towards immediate student support.

Jameson Johnson, Regis University LGBTQ+ Senator: In the wake of the recent tragedies at Regis University, I have experienced queer students who have felt isolated and alone. However, as the LGBTQ+ student senate representative for Regis, I have been working with my community and campus leaders to provide active resources.

The Queer community has faced scarcities when it comes to mental health, and all college campuses often find themselves lacking in resources as well. Once notified of the tragedy, I and other community leaders sprang into action. I was able to acquire mental health resources like the Trevor Project helpline, mental health professionals on campus from Queer Asterisk, and even a specific call center designated for Regis University through Mile High Behavioral Health.

I am grateful to have had pre-existing connections already established in the larger Denver Queer community, as it was not clear to University staff where to access queer-specific resources. These resources did provide—and will continue to do so—a reassurance to our students and faculty that they are not alone in this, and that there are now mental health tools specifically for their needs surrounding Regis’ Queer Community.

On the night of the tragedy, I approached our newly inaugurated president, Dr. Salvador Acevez, and notified him of the late-night calls and messages I sent to acquire aid for our Queer students. He expressed deep concern and a desire to learn more about how to support the university’s LGBTQ+ population. He quickly shared these tools with the larger Regis community.

Under his new presidency, and with the leadership of many newly appointed faculty members, I feel a sense of pride in attending Regis University. I personally reached out to the QSA over the summer, prior to orientation, with resources and training I obtained through One Colorado to help reestablish a QSA (as the previous leadership had graduated). I am hoping that the QSA leadership will embrace these resources, however, I have yet to be invited to contribute.

However, as the recently elected queer senate representative for the student body, I was able to work with newly appointed Regis leaders who compassionately and tirelessly worked towards providing care for all students. Regis did not have the plans in place to support our students in times of tragedy, but by working directly with the University President, Provost, and Dean of Students, we are working to create a trauma response team that focuses on meeting the immediate mental health needs of our students.

Currently, the resources I created with the help of the Denver Queer community will still be available for all Regis students, and flyers and emails have been sent out with behavioral health resources. Regis has added call lines for the Trevor Project, Mental Health Colorado, and Mile High Behavioral Health to the Regis website.

I am positive that Regis leaders like our president Dr. Acevez, our student body president Madelaine Johnson, and more, including myself, will not stop providing mental health aid simply because the tragedy has passed. My main focus is on providing validation and safety to young queer people in and outside of the Regis campus, and with the assistance of a new student-focused Regis faculty, that change can and will happen.

Photo courtesy of creative commons