EA - Marisa, the Co-Founder of EA Anywhere, Has Passed Away by carrickflynn

The Nonlinear Library

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Marisa, the Co-Founder of EA Anywhere, Has Passed Away, published by carrickflynn on May 17, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. (Apologies for errors or sloppiness in this post, it was written quickly and emotionally.) Marisa committed suicide earlier this month. She suffered for years from a cruel mental illness, but that will not be legacy-her legacy will be the enormous amount of suffering she alleviated for others. In her short life she worked with Rethink Charity, the Legal Priorities Project, co-founded EA Anywhere, and volunteered with many more impactful organizations. Looking to further scale her impact she completed most of a Master of Public Policy degree at Georgetown. Marisa was relentless. Even among the impressive cohort of young EAs, she had a diligence and work ethic that amazed and inspired. She got things done. She was also wickedly funny. Even while suffering deeply, she could make me cry with laughter. Epidemiologically, suicide is contagious within communities. Marisa's does not have to be. Everyone reading this is only one comment or IM message away from those who want to help and who can help. For these people, you are not alone, and you are never a burden. If you are struggling, reach out. There are also great resources such as EA Peer Support, the EA Mental Health Navigator, and more that I hope others can list in the comments. Sometimes the mental illness wins, but that does not mean Marisa did not fight like hell, or that she did not have an incredible community of people helping her in her fight. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to these people. The reflexive selflessness, patience, and care they showed for Marisa exceeds anything I have seen anywhere. Over hours, days, weeks, and years they provided love and support far beyond what most can expect even from their families. They extended my understanding of what it can mean to be human. Many of us are in a lot of pain right now. It will come in waves that slowly fade. It will mostly pass. In 26 years, Marisa had more impact than most will have in a lifetime. That is forever. Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org