Kristin Kosiewicz with her cat Mickey, who was named after her
stepfather, Mike Peck. Kristin died of an accidental overdose of
Fentanyl in 2021. Courtesy photo

A photo of a small glass vile containing 2 mg of common table
salt with a penny and a pen for perspective. As little as 2 mg of
Fentanyl can be a fatal dose. Courtesy photo

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Kristin Kosiewicz was an energetic, athletic, nature-loving young woman until opioids turned her life around and in the end tragically took her life. On September 26, 2021, at the age of 46, Kristin died of an accidental overdose of Fentanyl. 

Kristin’s accomplishments earlier in her life show a love of life and a long list of talents and achievements. An alumna of Los Alamos High School,  she spent her junior year in Australia as part of a Rotary foreign student exchange program. After graduating early, she took another foreign exchange in the French part of Belgium. Kristin attended classes at Texas Tech University and the University of London and received her Bachelor’s degree in Business, with an emphasis in International Marketing from the University of Washington. Another of her accomplishments was that she made an around the world trip entirely by herself.

Several years before she died, Kristin injured her back while bending over to pick up a snowboard and ended up having surgery followed by prescription opioids for pain management.  Along with pain management Kristin struggled with bi-polar disorder.

Kristin’s father, Stan Kosiewicz, and stepmother, Amy Anderson in their grief wanted something good to come out of her death. They jumped in with both feet and seeded the money for the Kristin Kosiewicz Substance Abuse Awareness Scholarship for graduating Los Alamos High School seniors. It was their desire that the scholarship will raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse and prevent others from having a similar tragedy.

Stan said Jenny McCumber, executive director of the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation, has been a lifeline for him. McCumber set up the scholarship, which drew 12 applications the first year and 16 the second year. Amy, Stan and Jenny were enthused with the large response to the scholarship. Two scholarships were awarded in both the first and second years. The stipend is currently $2,000 per scholarship.

The scholarships announcement for 2024 will be posted online Dec. 11 and applications will need to be submitted by the Feb. 23, 2024 deadline. 

Stan and Amy have become familiar faces at local community drug awareness events where they emphasize how highly toxic Fentanyl is. As little as 2 mg of it can be a fatal dose. Because it is so highly toxic , it is sometimes referred to as a poison. Stan and Amy have spoken with law enforcement personnel, counselors and others, and have participated remotely in programs as far away as Bernalillo County. Los Alamos Police Department Sgt. Chris Ross has said the scholarship is a unique approach to increasing drug abuse awareness. Stan and Amy are pleased to see an increase in community openness to discussion of drug abuse awareness in the last two years.

Students who apply for the scholarship are required to write an essay about the negative impacts of substance abuse including their reflections on prevention and awareness strategies to better prepare young adults graduating from high school to avoid the dangers of accidental overdose, as well as the role gateway substances have in leading young people to become addicted. According to Stan and Amy, the student essays have suggested many excellent ideas for making substance abuse programs more relevant. However, the essays are confidential and their content has only been shared with the essay evaluation committee.

Donations may be made to the scholarship by using the donor box on the LAPS Foundation page at https://lapsfoundation.com/ or  by mailing a check made out to LAPS Foundation (with Kristin Kosiewicz Scholarship in the memo) to LAPS Foundation, 1010 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM 87544