TROY, N.Y. - In an ongoing effort to provide educational opportunities for its student-athletes outside the classroom, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) athletics department welcomed Emmy-award winning journalist and the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Fagan to campus for an interactive discussion centering on mental health. The event was attended by more than 300 student-athletes, coaches and staff members, nearly exceeding capacity of the venue.

After a 10-minute ESPN story that Fagan authored about Maddy Holleran, a former University of Pennsylvania student-athlete who died by suicide, the discussion began with a focus on Holleran and her struggles with mental health challenges, many of which today's student-athletes face. Fagan, who spent seven years as a columnist and feature writer for espnW, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, knows Holleran's story well, having written What Made Maddy Run. The book, which was originally published in August 2017, was a semi-finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting.

A native of nearby Niskayuna, Fagan also spoke of her own struggles, in particular around her desire to no longer compete in basketball at the University of Colorado, though she ultimately did not step away. She also talked about generational mental health, perfectionism and the desire to meet personal and outside expectations - often unrealistic to accomplish.

She went on to stress the importance of speaking about depression and suicide, especially with the rising rates of anxiety among young people, including college student-athletes.

Fagan, who is the author of three books, currently hosts the podcast Free Cookies. She and her wife live in South Carolina.