A cheerleader who was a freshman at Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana was found dead hours after posting a shocking message on her own Instagram account.
Arlana Miller, 19, from Texas died on Wednesday after posting a heartbreaking note on Instagram suggesting that she was planning on taking her own life.
In it, she spoke about death and detailed her history with suicidal thoughts.
‘May this day bring me rest and peace. I have fought this urge since my early teenage years… I gave this life all the fight I had. To everyone who has entered my life I’m so grateful and I can only imagine how this may find you, I have been surrounded by people who may have honestly thought that I was okay, but I havn’t been okay for a while,’ the note read.
It also referenced her struggled over the past year with her school, Covid-19 and tearing her ACL ligament.
‘I struggled so much through just this year alone. From covid, to tearing my acl, to nearly failing all of my classes. To the people in my life I pray you learn to vocalize your feelings and get help always!!! I failed at that and I’m afraid it’s too late,’ Miller wrote.
‘I have written so many suicide notes my life but finally, I’ve reached my end,’ she said.
Arlana Miller, 19, a Louisiana college student was found dead after posting a lengthy ‘suicide’ note on social media
Miller, 19, attended Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge
In what was to become her final Instagram post, Miller spoke about death and detailed her history with suicidal thoughts
‘I hope this teaches everyone to check on your ‘strong’ friends, be present always! I’m contradicting myself but NEVER give up!!! I know that I’m letting a lot people down by what I’m about to do. But… truth is I’ve already let down so many people throughout my life and it just feels unbearable. I’ve lost my connection to God.
‘I’ve been dead inside for too long. To everyone I love, just remember that this is not your fault and I pray you don’t find guilt in my situation. I always dreamed of becoming so many things that I am today, but they just aren’t enough, I’m not enough. I havnt felt enough for a while.. but I say all this to say, I’m done fighting, My battle is over and I pray everyone finds peace in that.’
The university’s athletic department said she died shortly after making the final posting.
The freshman cheerleader was found dead after posting a lengthy ‘suicide’ note online
I have written so many suicide notes in my life but finally, I’ve reached my end’, she wrote
The Southern University Athletic Department announced the death of one of their own
‘Our entire campus community is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Arlana Miller, a freshman who was majoring in agriculture on the Baton Rouge campus,’ Southern University’s President-Chancellor Ray L. Belton said in a statement Thursday.
‘On May 4, 2022, at approximately 9PM, Southern University Athletic Department was notified of a social media post which ultimately led to this unfortunate announcement,’ the statement read.
The athletic department noted how Miller’s death came during Mental Health Awareness Month, ‘a time to raise awareness of mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience.’
‘We ask for your prayers, love and support. Our deepest sympathy to The Miller family, SU Cheer, & friends. We love you Arlana #ForeverJag,’ athletic director Roman Banks and the school’s athletic department said in the statement.
Miller said she ‘failed’ to follow her own advice and thanked her mother in her final posting
Miller’s death comes as there have been a number of student-athlete suicides.
Since the start of March, three high-profile college student-athletes have taken their own lives.
Katie Meyer, who was a star goalkeeper on Stanford’s soccer team; Sarah Shulze, a runner for the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Lauren Bernett, a softball player for James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Experts say that student athletes may face pressures on them academically, mentally and physically with huge expectations for them to perform at the highest level.
‘Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment,’ Shulze’s family said last month.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. For confidential help, call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here.
Suicides of star student-athletes
Over the last two months there have been a number of student-athlete suicides.
Three high-profile college student-athletes have taken their own lives.
Katie Meyer, 22,
Katie Meyer, 22, a promising young sportswoman killed herself in her Stanford dorm
In March, Katie Meyer, a promising young sportswoman killed herself in her Stanford dorm after feeling pressure to be ‘perfect’ and ‘number one’ in the weeks leading up to her death.
According to her parents, Katie might have been ‘triggered’ after receiving an email, notifying her of an impending disciplinary hearing after being involved in an unspecified incident on campus, in which she defended a teammate.
The athlete was found dead in her dorm room with what a coroner has determined to be self-inflicted wounds, just days after complaining of knee pain from a February surgery.
Meyer, a senior majoring in international relations and minoring in history at the school, also posted photos of her using crutches following the surgery, as she went to get a coffee and played with Star Wars Legos.
Things seemed to be going well after that, as she shared photos from practices and spoke about how she was getting coffee with friends before going to a sorority dinner.
But four days later, Meyer was found dead in her dorm room.
Meyer’s was the goalkeeper for the Stanford women’s soccer team
Sarah Shulze, 21,
The California native took her own life after a battle with mental health issues. Her family said ‘balancing athletics, academics and the demands of everyday life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment’
In April, Sarah Shulze, a runner, took her own life after a battle with mental health issues.
Shulze, of California, passed away ‘suddenly and tragically’ on April 13 in Wisconsin surrounded by her loved ones, according to a statement from her family.
‘Sarah took her own life,’ the family said two days after her passing. ‘Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of everyday life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment. Like you, we are shocked and grief stricken while holding on tightly to all that Sarah was.’
‘Sarah regarded herself as a champion for all women, as did the many family members, friends, students and athletes who surrounded her,’ the Shulzes added.
The 21-year-old’s ‘legacy of compassion’ lives on in those who were recipients of her organs, which the family donated on Good Friday. Her relatives also plan to launch a foundation ‘that will be established to continue to support the causes most important to Sarah.’
Shulze’s parents hope her suicide helps others to better understand the fragility of mental health.
The star runner, originally from Oak Park, California, was a junior at Wisconsin. Her devotion to her sport, which the family says began on her high school track and cross-country teams, resulted in an athletic scholarship at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Shulze was in her third season with the Badgers, competing in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She earned academic all-Big Ten honors in 2020 and 2021 for cross country and in 2021 for track.
Star University of Wisconsin student-athlete Sarah Shulze, 21, passed away ‘suddenly and tragically’ on April 13 surrounded by her loved ones