Bre Payton’s died of a sudden illness Dec. 28, 2018. She was 26.
Bre was an influential mentor of many journalism students at Hillsdale College. She was a fellow on the Philos Project Dateline Journalism tour of Israel in early 2018. Much of the staff of The Hillsdale Collegian had the opportunity to experience her grace, kindness, and wisdom.
A 2015 graduate of Patrick Henry College, she was well known as a media commentator and staff writer for The Federalist. She is survived by her parents, George and Cindy; siblings James, Jack, Christina, and Cheekie; as well as her boyfriend, Ryan Colby.
Bre’s death was untimely. It leaves in its wake not only heartbreak, but a feeling of loss for what could have been. Bre was talented, kind, and bright-hearted. She genuinely and deeply cared for those around her and took her role as a mentor seriously, striving to pour into the lives of those following the same path as her.
The students of the Dow Journalism Center program remember her not only as a fellow journalist but as someone who impacted our lives in a profound way. We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends and ask the readers of the Collegian to mourn with us the loss of someone dear.
A scholarship fund benefiting young, rising Christian leaders is available on GoFundMe. As of Jan. 15, it has raised nearly $40,000.
The Collegian Editorial Staff