At the beginning of each semester, Maxwell School Professor Bill Coplin invites students in his Introduction to Policy Studies class to join him for lunch in Eggers Café. In the fall of 2021, three students took him up on the offer.

The first to volunteer was Valerie Goldstein. She was a freshman at the time, and given her highly focused and outgoing nature, it didn’t take long for her to find her place at Syracuse University. A member of the Renée Crown Honors Program, she participated in intramural volleyball and soccer, served as a writer for The Kumquat, and she took part in poetry groups and theatrical productions. She was also a Maxwell School ambassador and a peer mentor for the First Year Seminar and international students.

Valerie was among Coplin’s most engaged students, helping to lead his Skills Win! program that aims to develop life skills among local middle and high school students through fun, engaging activities. “I can tell you she's the best student I ever had doing this stuff. The best, by far,” he said.

He and fellow members of the Maxwell and University communities were deeply saddened to learn that Valerie passed away on Dec. 23, 2024, along with her younger sister, Violet, and their parents, Matthew and Lyla Goldstein. Police said they succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning in their vacation home in New Hampshire.

Valerie earned a bachelor’s degree in policy studies in the spring of 2024 after just three years and with a 4.0 GPA. Originally from Newton Highlands, Massachusetts, she was in her first year with the organization Teach for America, serving as a fifth-grade teacher at Baskerville Elementary in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. In a short time, she impressed administrators and colleagues with her ability to connect with her students.

Coplin said Valerie’s passion for children and advocacy was clear while she was his student and active in Skills Win!. As chief operating officer, she helped streamline the group’s efforts, offered valuable feedback, easily engaged with students and developed a new handbook, he said.

“That impressed me that this is somebody who takes things seriously, who's hard working, knows what she's supposed to do. If it hadn't been for her, I don't think there would be a Skills Win! today. She left quite a mark,” said Coplin, adding that she also helped him edit his book, “The Path to Equity: Inclusion in the Kingdom of Liberal Arts” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).

Among friends at Syracuse, Valerie was known for her quirky costumes, humor and thoughtful gestures. Her love of theater led her to a Shakespeare class taught by Stephanie Shirilan, associate professor of English. The small class became a tight-knight support group, overcoming obstacles to put on their final performance.

When Shirilan asked for feedback, she said Valerie was the first to respond. According to Shirilan, she had an extraordinarily detail-oriented mind–she loved to schedule, problem solve and organize.

“She just tried to fix everything. She gently but consistently made everything she was involved with work better, smarter, more efficiently, more beautifully and more heartfully. It was magic,” said Shirilan.

Despite numerous unprecedented challenges the course encountered, the students excelled and persevered—qualities that Valerie demonstrated not only academically but throughout her life. At the end of the class, Valerie received the “William Shakespeare Award” for her leadership and unwavering dedication.

“She was, without a doubt, the most overall capable person I've ever met in my life. Her capability was almost limitless,” said Shirilan.

By Mikayla Melo