The UW-Whitewater community was notified of the death of one of its own Aug. 12. Katie Gruber, a student and alumna of the university, died Aug. 10 at the age of 32.

Originally from Arlington Heights, Illinois, Gruber was an early childhood education major. Gruber also earned a bachelor’s degree from UW-W in 2021, focusing on English with an emphasis in professional writing and publishing.

In an email sent by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tonya Schmidt, Gruber was praised for being not only academically successful but also heavily involved on campus.

“During her years on campus, Katie was involved in numerous student organizations and co-curricular experiences, from residence life to cheerleading to the Disability Advocacy and Awareness Coalition,” Schmidt wrote.

Tributes poured in for Gruber, ranging from fellow students and faculty to family and friends. Many people shared photos and memories on Gruber’s online tribute wall.

Katie’s mother, Kathy Gruber, stated that her daughter’s happiest times occurred at Whitewater and recalled that she had traveled to Brazil through the university.

Kathy remembered Katie’s generosity and love for other people.

“She always loved people, loved everything that she got to do,” Kathy said. “[She was] very welcoming, easy to talk to, [and] wanted to talk to everybody. Going to the store, she wanted to talk to people.”

Kathy shared that Katie always made new students feel welcome on campus and that they would frequently approach her with questions. Additionally, Katie would give gifts to people with personalized messages and pictures.

Kathy also expressed pride in Katie for going to college and succeeding.

“I never thought she’d go to college,” Kathy said. “And she went and she did. I know this past semester, she had all A’s and B’s and was always into her homework and doing the best she could.”

Junior Ashley Sparrow was a close friend of Katie’s. The pair first met at the induction ceremony for the Alpha Delta Phi sorority and became fast friends.

“My first impression of Katie was definitely that she was a very sweet person,” Sparrow said. “She was really easy to get along with and was just always filled with joy and very bubbly, which was really nice to get that fresh air.”

Sparrow explained that Alpha Delta Phi chapter meetings would have moments where members could share their creative works and stated that Katie would always have something to share.

“She was just very creative and very open to trying new things,” Sparrow said. “It definitely was another aspect of her personality, which I just loved about her, that she had so many ideas.”

Katie also had a love for music, specifically country songs and the Backstreet Boys. Kathy stated that her daughter had interests in learning about human rights, working with children, and the Chicago Cubs.

“She was always very aware of when different days were, like Cerebral Palsy Day or the day the ADA passed their thing that buildings had to have accessible entrances,” Kathy said. “She volunteered at a couple of daycares because she just loved being with kids.”

Katie was very active on campus and could be found attending many different events. Sparrow expressed that her fondest memory with Katie was at an annual drag show, in which Sparrow performed in drag for the first time.

“Katie came, and we got a really nice picture together,” Sparrow said. “She never really went previously, but she also was there to give me support. Just knowing that [there were] people out in the crowd supporting me was really important to me. And she absolutely loved the show, which was great.”

Sparrow also reflected on the number of pictures she has with Katie and stated that having those photographs is very important to her.

Katie’s tremendous impact on the UW-W community will not be forgotten. Her memory will live on through the countless lives she touched and the many student organizations she participated in.

Per Schmidt’s email, the university will be flying the UW-W flag at half-staff in honor of Katie this fall, with a date yet to be announced. Mental health services are also available for anyone in the community who is grieving.