Members of the PNW Westville Campus community hosted a memorial service to honor Rachel Steffens, assistant professor of psychology, on Aug. 31 in LSF, Room 02.

Steffens died on June 13 at the age of 37 at MedStar Washington Hospital in Washington D.C. She was in Washington D.C. visiting a friend at the time of her death. Steffens was born in Seoul, Korea. She attended Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis for her bachelor’s and master’s as well as the University of Kentucky, where she received her doctorate. She started working for PNC and living in Northwest Indiana in 2013.

Coworkers, students and friends spoke at the service about the impact Steffens had on their lives including Lindsay Gear, former student and student employee of Steffens’s.

“Dr. Steffens was able to bridge her knowledge of health and wellness to our needs,” Gear said. “Dr. Steffens taught us that it is okay to take care of ourselves whether that be work, school or with our families. She encouraged individuality and personality. She was a light to us in different ways.”

While serving as a student employee for Steffens, Gear was nominated for student employee of the year by Steffens and won.

“She took no credit for the nomination. She said, ‘That’s all you. You earned that,’” Gear said.

Steffens published four scholarly works during her career. She did charitable work through the Boys and Girls Club of America and People Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE). Joseph Perez, president and founder of PAVE, created The Rachel Steffens Award, a $1,000 award given to a member of the Michigan City community in Steffen’s memory. A PNW scholarship has also been made in her name.

Jacob West, Steffens’s best friend, was invited to come speak at the service about the impact Steffens had on his life and those who knew her.

“Rachel was a bright light, and being closer to her made you feel special,” West said. “Everywhere she went, people got better. People were happier, and they cared more.”

West closed his speech by telling those in attendance about the best way to honor Steffens’s memory.

“The best way we can remember Rachel is to continue her work,” West said. “We need to honor the people who harm us, and reward the people who help us, and if we do that, we won’t really lose her.”

Steffens’s funeral took place on June 22 at Lake View Funeral Home in Fairview Heights, Ill. Following the funeral, she was buried at Lake View Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Fairview Heights.

Steffens is survived by her mother, Mary Thicksten and step-father, Craig Thicksten; her sisters, Alisa Fancher and Elisabeth Allgire; and her brothers, Erick and Mario Thicksten.