Posted on 01/22/2014 2:17:03 PM PST by nickcarraway
Madison Holleran, 19, was stressed about her 3.5 GPA in the weeks before she jumped from a parking garage in Philadelphia on Friday, the friend said. The freshman’s tragic death stunned friends and family in her hometown of Allendale, N.J.
A beautiful and brainy University of Pennsylvania track star jumped to her death from a parking garage Friday after stressing out over grades, a family friend revealed Monday.
Madison Holleran — a freshman at the Ivy League school who hails from Bergen County, N.J.— made dinner plans and sent messages to friends without a hint she was feeling suicidal, said family friend Bob Weckworth.
“People talked to her within hours of her act of suicide and there were no red flags, warning signs, nothing,” he told the Daily News from the family’s Allendale home.
“This kid didn’t have a boyfriend. There were no drug issues. There were no mental health issues in her background. It was just the last two, three weeks where they saw a change in her,” said Weckworth, a friend of Madison’s father, James Holleran. “Something snapped.”
Cops said Madison, 19, jumped from a Philadelphia parking garage at 7 p.m. Friday. It was not clear Monday if she left a suicide note.
The death of the teen — who won numerous athletic awards as a student at Northern Highlands Regional High School in New Jersey — left her friends and family stunned.
She left a flood of photos on her social media accounts showing her smiling with friends. One posted on Instagram just an hour before her death shows a beautiful image of Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square at sunset.
“She got a 3.5 her first semester, and I think just the high expectations that she put on herself was that that’s just not acceptable,” Weckworth said.
When she came home over Christmas break, she was a changed person, he said.
“She was not happy at Penn, but the parents had told her then, ‘Don’t go back. We’ll transfer. We’ll look at other schools. There’s no reason to go back, it’s OK,’ ” he said.
It was not immediately clear what may have prompted the teen — a star athlete in her hometown of Allendale, N.J. — to jump to her death. FACEBOOK
It was not immediately clear what may have prompted the teen — a star athlete in her hometown of Allendale, N.J. — to jump to her death.
University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann said Madison’s death left the campus “deeply saddened.”
“She was bright and well-liked with an incredible future ahead of her,” Gutmann said in a statement.
Steve Dolan, Penn’s director of track and field-cross country, said Madison’s teammates were crushed by the news.
“We will always carry her in our hearts,” Dolan said.
The school announced that formal recruitment for sororities would be postponed out of respect for Holleran, who was participating in the events.
Holleran — who was named by the Star-Ledger to the all-state girls soccer and track teams last year — was majoring in philosophy, politics and economics, NJ.com reported.
“As our school community mourns the loss of Madison, we extend our love and prayers to the Holleran family as they grieve, and we respect their privacy during this extremely difficult time,” Joseph Occhino, principal of Northern Highlands High School, said in a statement.
I would have given her extra credit.
Just sad.
3.5 is pretty good but, doing a double gainer over it is just out there....
Like they say, “Penn S*cks.”
She had standards. If one wants no standards, check out John (gigolo) Kerry’s or AlBearManPig’s grades.
I morn the passing of a talented young woman.
But don’t worry, we still have Hillary and Michelle.
If she did have a boyfriend or drug issues, "a friend of her father" wouldn't have known about it.
Poor girl, look at those bags under her eyes.
There is more to this story.
It will either never come out, or it will be months.
But there is more.
I can’t put my finger on it, but something doesn’t add up.
Horrors !!! A 3.5 GPA !!!
Probably went to a HS where they inflate the grades - thereby inflating her opinion of herself ...
Stressed out over a 3.5 gpa? 1st semester?
I would have thrown a party!
You go back and try harder you might improve. You jump off a build, then no so much.......
I think I graduated with a 2.1. She might have been stressed about grades but there was something else causing that.
Well, that explains a lot. There's enough in those three subjects to make ANYone suicidal.
Seriously, though, what a waste. Prayers for her family.
Real pity....
Kids are sheltered from failure.
That’s why they aren’t ready for the real world.
Such a waste-—girl needed some hamburger therapy as she was skinny minnie. Why die over lieberal college grades?
she has the looks of a movie star.. what a shame.
Poor kid was thinking about majoring in those, among others... she was a freshman, your major isn't really declared until later.
Maybe she was still on adrenaline overload from what they put them thru in high school; i.e., you better decide on Day 1 what you plan to do the rest of your life, because they need to put you in the right “track”. Heck, they even start “career planning” with 7th graders in our area.
A very sad ending to such a short life.
God and Penn Docs saved my GF life. Dr Chu. check her out on u-tube. Nurses and people in the onco area are mostly very religious and christian.
I'm with you. I read this and a thought kept coming to mind....
This is no suicide. She was pushed off.
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