WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Kenyan-born and raised law student at Georgetown University, who served in the campus ministry, died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board Sunday morning.
The university confirmed the death of Cedric Asiavugwa on Sunday evening in a press release that described him as a ‘stellar’ third-year law student and Residential Minister for the New South residence hall.
Asiavugwa was reportedly traveling home to Nairobi after the death of his fiancé’s mother.
“Cedric was born and raised in Mombasa, Kenya and graduated from the University of Zimbabwe with a B.A. in Philosophy, with highest honors. His commitment to issues of social justice, especially serving refugees and other marginalized groups, led him to Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania before coming to Georgetown,” the release said.
A profile for Asiavugwa on Georgetown Law’s website said that he had helped found a community-based organization to protect vulnerable women and children fleeing the war in Somalia, organized teen mothers in Kenya to help them generate income, worked as the editor-in-chief for a philosophy journal, and served as the assistant director for advancement at a free high school for HIV/AIDS orphans in Nairobi.
He was also a life member of the Kenya Red Cross, with which he volunteered.
“Beyond his many commitments and contributions, Cedric’s friends and faculty in this community remember him as a kind, compassionate and gentle soul, known for his beautifully warm and infectious smile,” wrote William Treanor, dean of Georgetown Law. “This is a tragic loss for Cedric’s family and loved ones, for Georgetown and for the broader social justice community that benefited every day from his passion, compassion and dedication.
There will be a 7 p.m. mass in memory of Asiavugwa at Georgetown’s Dahlgreen Chapel of the Sacred Heart.
-wjla.com
