HOLLAND, Mich. (DDN) – Jennifer Kasunick, a Bay High School alumnus, was fearless. The blind violinist was recognized for providing warmth and light. She and her service dog Rowdy were always cheerful and upbeat wherever they went, including at the Michigan college she attended.
Unfortunately, Kasunick was struck and killed by a train near campus on Saturday at 6:20 p.m., according to Holland Police. “Hope College is heartbroken over Jennifer Kasunick’s death,” Hope College Dean of Students Becky Starkenburg said.
Starkenburg stated that the accident had shaken the faith-based college to its core.
“A thousand students came together, prayed together, grieved together,” she told me. “We’re a Christian college, so we look to Jesus, but we’re also hurting right now. It’s simply a shock to our neighborhood.
According to police, Kasunick and Rowdy were walking on the sidewalk at the 10th Street train crossing near Lincoln Avenue. Kasunick crossed the rails and waited, unintentionally getting too close to the train. The train signals were engaged and operational.
First responders discovered her unconscious and not breathing, and life-saving measures were undertaken. Kasunick was sent to Holland Hospital but did not survive.
“It is incredibly sad, and it hits hard,” Starkenburg remarked. “We’ve got counselors on campus and campus pastors who are helping walk through this with our students.”
Tributes are flooding in for the self-taught violinist and Hope College orchestra member. The theatre department has asked students to share their fondest recollections so that they can create a book for Kasunick’s family.
“Jennifer always sat in the front row of chapel,” Starkenburg explained. “That was just her spot, and she sang magnificently. And in the front row of our chapel, on the pew bench, flowers are starting to collect. Their students are just dropping off flowers in her honor. It simply goes to show how much of an influence she had on this town. She truly was a shining light for so many people.”
Rowdy survived the accident and was returned to Kasunick’s family. Plans for a funeral and memorial service are currently unknown.
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