Remembering kielA
February 26, 1992 - February 12, 2019
Kiela Hari Sunshine Gwin (AKA Kiel Ryosei Ronin) was an incredible human being. Her deep compassion and ability to connect with others will always be remembered by those who had the honor of knowing her. She was a sister, daughter, musician, writer, artist, and intellectual thinker, among many other things. Kiel(a)’s struggles with her mental health challenged her from a young age, but she had turned her own suffering into a source of strength and courage to help others by volunteering on the Crisis Text Line for many years. At the age of 26, after experiencing a severe mental emergency, she died of suicide. She had just started working as a graduate student in Genetic Anthropology within the year before she passed away, work that she was very passionate about.
Some amazing things about her:
Between the ages of 17 and 23, she wrote, played and recorded four full albums of music: Dixie Flatline, Insula: Chapter I, Insula: Chapter II and Grandiose Fantasies. Listen here or look for her on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, & Pandora.
Her contributions to the field of Genetic Anthropology are evident in the published research papers she co-authored (such as this one). As a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Utah, she was coding a new program to more accurately calculate statistical genetics.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Science with Honors from UNM, majoring in Anthropology and Psychology.
She was always creating things, whether with sculpy (clay), yarn, watercolors, pencils, thread, or other mediums.
Dearest Kiel ~ We love you and miss you more than words could ever fully express. The world you left could not contain your brilliance but we will work tirelessly to make this world better for other sensitive souls like you <3 <3 <3
