Overflowing with vibrancy, passion, and joy, Jason “Jay” Bassett ’17 was relentlessly dedicated to advocating for the dignity of the LGBTQ+ community and educating others on race and gender issues. A staunch supporter of the Rainbow Resource Center, Jay was instrumental in the inception of a LGBTQ+ Endowed Scholarship Fund and co-founded a campus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (Jay didn’t use gendered pronouns.) Friends knew Jay as someone who genuinely cared for everyone they met, and when you needed a shoulder to cry on, a healthy vent session, or simply a smile, they were your go-to person. Jay passed away on Oct. 12, 2017, and is survived by their parents, Kathy and Scott, and sisters Katie and Wendy.