Kailana Koether was an American student at Nyack High School. ^{[5] [1]}She was a member of the 2017 graduating class who passed away hours before she was set to graduate on June 22, 2017. ^{[5] [1]}

Friends who knew Koether remember her as someone who didn't back down from a challenge and had a fierce determination to succeed in life.

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On June 22, 2017, Clarkstown Police were called to Koether's home just after 10:00 a.m. and found her unresponsive. ^{[6] [5]}She was taken by ambulance to Nyack Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:05 a.m. ^{[6] [5] [1]}

Her official cause of death has not been determined.

A candlelight vigil took the place of graduation at her high school that evening, postponing the ceremony to June 23, 2017. ^{[6] [5] [1]}