In her own quiet way, Yale women's hockey player Mandi Schwartz was one of the most galvanizing players in the history of New Haven sports. Tragically, Schwartz lost her 28-month battle with leukemia Sunday.
She touched hearts and elevated people's sense of community simply by caring. Those who knew her at Yale passed the word, and though many in the community never got to meet her, they embraced her goodness by stepping up in charitable efforts to save not only her life, but the lives of so many in need of bone marrow transplant. She made people want to be better.