Those who knew Chico State University student Casey Jackson will be starting the semester without a friend they say touched the lives of everyone around her.

Casey died last month after falling from a cliff into the Tuolumne River.

Days from now, the 21-year-old women's studies major would've been starting her senior year. Instead, her parents are planning a memorial service at Chico State and are setting up a scholarship as a tribute to their daughter.

"It's in remembrance of Casey and her dedication to school," said Keith Jackson of the scholarship in his daughter's name. "She was a really hard-working kid."

But Casey's devotion went beyond her studies. Keith Jackson said she was a counselor for a rape-crisis hotline. And when he called her during hotline hours, Casey would tell him she had to keep the phone line free.

"She looked out for other people more than herself," he said. "She just had a kind heart."

Growing up in Shingletown on several acres, Casey was an animal lover. She had a horse, raised swine and traveled as a 4-H delegate during her senior year at Foothill High School. She was looking forward to reuniting with a seeing-eye dog that would soon retire - a dog she'd trained years ago.

Keith Jackson said no matter what Casey was doing, she gave her all.

Friends said Casey was an activist who was getting straight A's while putting herself through college. She was someone who inspired everyone she met, said Brooke Haley, one of Casey's closest friends and classmates.

"She was the heroine among our friends," she said. "I have no doubt she would've changed the world."

Haley, also a women's studies major, met Casey three years ago in a class. She said one of the things she'll never forget is how much Casey loved learning and sharing what she learned with those around her.

"She kept the class alive," Haley said. "She was intelligent and articulate and if she had a point she was going to make it."

Casey was also known to do fun and spontaneous things - including getting friends to skip along - no matter where they were.

"It lifts your heart up," Haley said. "She was always doing stuff like that."

The two friends were looking forward to being roommates during their last year at Chico State. Casey moved in at the beginning of the summer and was due to arrive home from camp this week.

"I was supposed to be seeing her right now," Haley said.

For her summer job, Casey worked as a driver at Camp Tawonga, a private Jewish camp near Yosemite National Park. It was on her day off that she and a friend took a hike and the accident occurred.

Casey was sitting, looking at a waterfall and a rainbow just before she slipped from the cliff, Keith Jackson said. She was in an area wet from the waterfall's mist and when she went to move, she lost her balance, fell, and was sucked under the middle fork of the river. She suffered a fractured skull, killing her instantly, he said.

When her friend climbed down 30 feet to the water's edge, the only sign of Casey was the backpack she'd been wearing. Search and rescue teams looked for days, but the river was too full and swift for divers.

This kept friends and loved ones on an emotional roller coaster, clinging to the idea that she could've survived the fall, Haley said.

"We had so much hope," she said. "We wanted her back so bad."

Casey's body was recovered Aug. 2 - two weeks after her fall. The following day, family and friends gathered at the camp for a memorial service. Staff members sang Casey's favorite songs and loved ones shared their memories. The congregation then walked to the river, where they washed each other's hands, which Haley said was to help those who were grieving forgive the river.

"It ended up being a very spiritual experience. It was such a relief," said Haley, who cried for a half-hour straight. "But it was probably the hardest thing I've ever done."

Weeks later, with the fall semester fast approaching, Haley said it has become more difficult to cope. Casey's room is left untouched and Haley said she sometimes goes inside to feel near to her friend. Another thing that comforts her is knowing how much she and her other friends meant to Casey.

"She was so open and honest," Haley said. "She totally let us know that she loved us."

Funds for the $1,000 scholarship came from a life-insurance policy. For five years, it will go to a student in the women's studies department. Keith Jackson and Casey's mother, Robin, thought the best way to honor their daughter would be to help others who are passionate about women's issues.

The memorial service at Chico State has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 6. Keith Jackson said the family waited so that those who were away for the summer would be able to attend.

In the meantime, he said he's still getting used to the fact that Casey is gone.

"She's my first kid - my little sweetheart," he said. "I miss her so."