Details about the lives of two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are surfacing after their sudden deaths in a campus dormitory.
Kelsie Martin, 22, of Beloit, and Hallie L. Helms, 22, of Baraboo, both lived in Wilgur Hall, the site of an emergency incident May 19 that left both students dead, the university said.
The women graduated just two days earlier, according to a commencement program. Martin graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology, and Helms graduated magna cum laude with an elementary education degree.
As of midday May 20, much remained unclear, including how the women died. Campus police and administrators have refused to say whether shots were fired, but the incident prompted a shelter-in-place order, and many on campus said a shooting apparently had occurred.
What we know about Kelsie Martin
Martin had been the assistant resident director at Wilgus Hall since 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile. That meant she was the lead supervisor of the dorm, overseeing eight to 12 resident assistants, she wrote on LinkedIn. She attended weekly meetings, held office hours and "responded to various emergencies around the hall," including mental health concerns, hate and bias reports, violations of campus policy and more, according to her profile.
Martin majored in psychology with an emphasis on human services, according to a Facebook post from the Residence Life department spotlighting her in 2024. She owned more than 400 books and wanted to have a library in her home one day, the post said.
She was a "growing leader and role model for young women on campus," the post said. It praised her "phenomenal work" in her position at the dorm.
In the post, Martin is quoted as saying she applied for the job because "I wanted to help people the same way my RA helped me through my first year on campus."
Before she took the role of supervisor, Martin was a resident assistant her sophomore year in Melcher Hall, according to another Residence Life post. She wanted to break out of her shell and try new things, the post said, and she developed some of her strongest friendships through the job.
Prior to college, Martin was the assistant manager at Coral Cove Family Fun Center, an indoor children's play facility in South Beloit, Illinois, according to her LinkedIn.
What we know about Hallie Helms
Helms was preparing for a career in education. She created a personal website about herself and her teaching philosophy, as well as accounts on Facebook and X. There, her cover photo was a cartoon chalkboard with, "Ms. Helms's Class" in a chalk-like font, and she once voiced support for a federal bill that would raise teachers' minimum wage.
She was inspired by teachers who were enthusiastic and helped her reach her highest potential, she wrote, according to an archived copy of her website.
"I want to be the teacher who had helped, counseled, and inspired change," she wrote. "I want to change students for the better."
Helms graduated from Baraboo High School in 2021 and attended UW-Baraboo before transferring to Platteville in 2023, according to her site. In high school she joined an art club, a computer club and the Gender Sexuality Alliance club. In college, she was part of a knitting club and an aspiring teachers club.
She also said she collected nail polish bottles -- preferring sparkly polish, and dabbling in nail art -- and enjoyed fishing, swimming and hiking at Devil's Lake each summer.