The halls of Moby were abuzz with connection and friendship as the Department of Health and Exercise Science dedicated a community space to support student success and well-being at Colorado State University on November 1. The Kelly ‘Sugar Bee’ Walker Student Hive honors the life and legacy of the three-time CSU alumna and former instructor in health promotion who inspired collective fundraising for scholarships and Multiple Sclerosis research.
Kelly Walker (B.S.,’88, M.S. ’91 exercise and sport science; M.S. human development and family studies, ’02) died May 3, 2022, having lived with M.S. since her diagnosis in 1988. Her impact continues, however, with 34 recipients of the Kelly Walker Health Promotion Scholarship since 2002 and more than $2 million raised during her lifetime for the National M.S. Society to advance efforts to treat and cure M.S. with her parents, Betty and Tim Walker, Sr., and her brothers, Eric and Tim Jr. Kelly was honored in the College of Health and Human Sciences Legacies Project.
Swarm of support
Family, friends, and faculty came together with a swarm of collective giving to enhance a space in Moby B-wing to remember Kelly. Designed to support student success in alignment with Walker’s passion, the Kelly ‘Sugar Bee’ Walker Student Hive is a physical space on the 2nd floor of the Moby B building that has been transformed from a non-descript area outside the HES classrooms to a colorful, vibrant student study and gathering place adorned with photos of Kelly, wall decal honeycombs, large moss panels to create a “living energy” feel, and a plaque describing Kelly’s life and what she meant to the world.
Kelly was known for her curiosity and care for others; her easy laugh and acerbic wit; and her profound connections with friends and family. In attendance were Kelly’s parents and brothers, along with more than 70 others, including former classmates, CSU colleagues, representatives from the National M.S. Society Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, and MS 150 Team Sugar Bee, and a group of loyal friends who refer to themselves as “Kelly’s Wine Trolls.”
The group came together collectively to donate the funds needed for the renovation, exceeding their goal. “Kelly naturally inspired connections and generosity,” said Health and Exercise Science Department Head Barry Braun. “Gifts of all sizes helped create this space and people were clamoring for the opportunity to donate. Like Kelly, we are grateful for every contribution.”
Guests filled every seat to hear the remarks and dedication.
Braun recounted Kelly’s relentless positivity, unwavering grit, colorful sense of humor, and her thoughtfulness. She had a long list of friends whom she called every year to sing to them on their birthday in a voice that grew increasingly raspy over the years. “She sounded like a mash-up of Bette Davis and Tom Waits,” he recalled. “And I know it wasn’t something unique to me, but Kelly makes me want to be better: more generous of spirit, more forgiving, better able to go out and deal with the challenges life throws at me. Present tense.”
Braun also shared remembrances of Walker from CHHS Dean Lise Youngblade: “Kelly was about students, in all the good ways – nurturing them, laughing with them, challenging and supporting them, and being ‘in the moment’ with them in ways that let them know how valued they are. Indeed, you could say she interacted with every person in these ways.”
Nexus for connection
The Hive is already serving its purpose as a gathering place for students before classes, a quiet place to study alone or work on a project with friends – or even a spot for an impromptu nap.
“This particular space is a teacher, and in that way is an ongoing connection to Kelly’s legacy,” said Youngblade. “It is a place of learning in all its aspects – through providing a calm place to study, a reflective place to think, a warm place that invites sharing with a friend, or a collaborative space that inspires new ideas.
“My hope is that the Kelly ‘Sugar Bee’ Walker Student Hive is a place where many laughs are shared.”
Photos by Avery Martin
The Department of Health and Exercise Science is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
