Written by Sarah Golemme
TW: suicide
“When we lose someone we love, we must learn not to live without them, but to live with the love they left behind”
Jordyn was someone who was filled to the brim with love - even overflowing with it. She’s someone who could light up every room that she entered in an instant. Her big cheeky smile and her goofy personality made everyone feel loved and cared for; she was truly an unparalleled presence in so many of our lives.
One of my fondest recollections of her was her pregame routine in the classroom before our coach came in. She’d put her boat captains hat on and hit play to the funniest song, “I’m On a Boat”. It definitely wasn’t safe for young ears, but it lifted the energy of the room like nothing else. She’d be on the desks dancing and screaming the lyrics so loud that you could hear it throughout the building. She was the most energized human; always focused on uplifting others and making each day more enjoyable for us all.
Jordyn seemed so full of life and love that her passing felt like a false reality that still feels hard to accept some days. The day that Jordyn died by suicide was a day where the world stopped for many of us. Losing her felt like a punch to the gut followed by an inability to catch your breath no matter how hard you tried to recenter yourself. Time slowed down and memories were blurred as the reality of what happened was so hard to grasp. How could someone who so many of us saw as this bundle of energy and joy feel that there was no other option? How can we grasp with the fact that we won’t get to see her one more time no matter how hard we wish we could? None of it felt real; the grief has been consuming at times.
After her passing, a lot of details began to unfold about her hidden struggles. It was hard to accept that a lot of important aspects of her life were swept under the rug and avoided at all costs. She was handling a multitude of heavy things that we could have never have imagined were happening in silence. We wished that we could’ve offered the support she needed through open and honest conversations. Suicide was the last thing that any of us had imagined to be an option for Jordyn.
A world without Jordyn has been challenging to accept, but her love and light that she shared with us all has continued to show itself in so many ways. Her incredible personality and love for others was one of a kind, and every single moment we got to spend with her will forever be cherished. Even though she isn’t here in person with us, we knew that we wanted to find a way to share her story and honor her beautiful soul - and this is where the Jordyn Clark Foundation was born.
The Jordyn Clark Foundation was dreamt up during long conversations between Lori and I as we grieved together over sub sandwiches and Mickey barking at us to play ball with her. As we discussed her impact on not only her family, but everyone she encountered, we knew that we wanted to do something big to remember her. When Lori asked how we could best keep her light alive, we chose to “go big or go home” and create the Non-Profit that we now know as JCF.
The Foundation is rooted in our love for Jordyn, and finding ways to share that with others. We dedicated to creating a world where mental health and well-being are valued and supported, and where suicide is no longer seen as a necessary or acceptable outcome. We strive to create a society where individuals feel comfortable seeking help and support for their mental health, and where the conversation surrounding mental health is open, honest, and stigma-free.
As we’ve built this foundation and continue to share her story, we have grown through our community events and partnerships; creating a sense of love and support not only in Eagan, but across the nation. Whether its our Annual Memorial Event, “A Race to End Suicide”, sponsoring mental health training sessions for organizations or building our goalkeeper glove giveback program - “Clarky’s Catch”; we will never stop honoring Jordyn and her heart full of love for others.
There isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t think about her and miss her deeply. But, I know that Jordyn would want us to keep pursuing our passions, keep loving each other, supporting one another, and live life to the fullest; she cared too much about all of us for us not to. As we go forward in life, we will continue to hold her in our hearts, and each of us will forever share a little piece of her in some way. The Jordyn Clark Foundation will honor and remember her in every way possible, and we hope you will join us in our mission to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
If you’re interested in supporting our efforts and participating in this year’s “A Race to End Suicide” Memorial Event, please sign up via our registration link.
You can also find our Instagram @jclarkfoundation if you’d like to connect with us further. Or, you can email us at jclarkfoundation1@gmail.com if you are interested in partnering.
All love, Always.