Sam Martinez was a Washington State University freshman when he died from acute alcohol poisoning in November 2019.He had been attending a fraternity event at Alpha Tau Omega and was found unconscious the following morning by fellow students. Sam's mother, Jolayne Houtz, tells KOMO Anchor and podcast host Kelly Koopmans how she turned her grief into action by bringing transparency to hazing on college campuses across the country. On this episode of Connect with Kelly Koopmans, Jolayne details how she has navigated the grief of losing Sam and discusses her steadfast dedication to saving other kids from falling victim to hazing.

Every person has a story. Sometimes it begins with a headline. Sometimes it begins quietly, in a moment that changes everything. 

I’m Kelly Koopmans, and this is Connect With Kelly Koopmans. 

Each week, I’ll sit down with the people who make our region what it is… community leaders, neighbors, innovators, survivors, and people whose experiences can teach us something about ourselves. 

We’ll go beyond the surface for honest conversations about resilience, purpose, loss, hope, and the connections that bring us together. 

This is a place to listen, to learn, and to meet the people behind the stories. 

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