A Georgetown student has been identified as one of the eight Americans victims in the deadly Ethiopian Airlines flight, school officials said Sunday evening.
Cedric Asiavugwa, a third-year student at Georgetown Law, was killed in the crash, school officials said.
The 157 people aboard the jetliner crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ethiopian capital Sunday, killing everyone aboard, officials said.
Kenyan-born and raised in Monbasa (a small island along the East African Coast), Asiavugwa graduated from the University of Zimbabwe with a B.A. in Philosophy (first class), according to Georgetown Law’s website.
He was committed, “to issues of social justice especially for refugees and other marginalized groups has seen him work in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania among other countries,” the website biosaid.
School officials said a mass would be held at Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart for Asiavugwa. They released the following statement Sunday:
Dear Members of the Georgetown Community,
With a heavy heart, we write to share the terrible news that Cedric Asiavugwa, a third-year student at Georgetown Law, a member of Georgetown University’s Campus Ministry and Residential Minister on the second floor of New South, died in the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 near Addis Ababa.
Cedric was on his way home to Nairobi, Kenya, following the death of his fiancé’s mother. With his passing, the Georgetown family has lost a stellar student, a great friend to many, and a dedicated champion for social justice across East Africa and the world.
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.
Among his many accomplishments, he helped found a community-based organization that addresses the protection of vulnerable women and children fleeing the war in Somalia, researched issues ranging from international conflicts to food security across East Africa, served as the Editor-in-Chief of the philosophy journal Chiedza, and directed a television series on peace and reconciliation.
Deeply committed to Catholic and Jesuit education, Cedric also spent eight years here and in Africa discerning a religious vocation as a Jesuit Scholastic.
He was a beloved member of Georgetown’s Campus Ministry offices, tending to a group of first-year undergraduates for the last three years as a Residential Minister in the New South residence hall on the Hilltop and also interning in the Law Center’s Campus Ministry office.
Consistently dedicated to the underprivileged in his home country, Cedric also served as the Assistant Director of Advancement for St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, a free high school for orphans with HIV/AIDS in Nairobi.
Cedric’s deep commitment to social justice informed his many pursuits at the law school. A Blume Public Interest Law Scholar, a Global Law Scholar and a Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Scholar, Cedric was studying toward a joint J.D.-LL.M. degree in International Business and Economic Law.
This semester, he was enrolled in the Center for Applied Legal Studies clinic, assisting refugee clients seeking asylum in the United States. Last year, he participated in the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic. Cedric’s goal was to return to Kenya after his studies to pursue a career promoting the rights of refugees in East Africa and beyond.
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.
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.
We hope you will keep his many loved ones here and abroad in your thoughts and prayers as we grieve his passing.
We realize how difficult this news is for members of our community. Georgetown University Campus Ministry is in touch with Cedric’s family and are offering any support we can provide at this difficult time.
To schedule an appointment with CAPS (Counseling and Psychiatric Services), students may call 202-687-6985 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. In the event of an urgent need after hours, call 202-444-7243 and ask for the CAPS clinician on call.
The Office of Campus Ministry is available to students during business hours by calling 202-687-5259 (Main Campus). In addition, chaplains in residence may be reached after hours by calling 202-677-0361. Georgetown Law Campus Ministry staff may be reached at this link: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/your-life-career/spiritual-life/chaplains-staff/
The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) can provide free confidential counseling and referral services to faculty, AAPs and staff. For more information, visit http://hr.georgetown.edu/fsap or call 202-687-2396.
The 7 p.m. Mass tonight in Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart will also be offered for Cedric.
We encourage students, faculty and staff to reach out to one another and be supportive of our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cedric’s family and friends.
With sadness,
William Treanor, Executive Vice President and Dean, Georgetown Law
Rev. Mark Bosco, S.J., Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Georgetown University
Source-msn.com
