Cedarville University offered resources and support to classmates and family of Grace Maxwell, a student who died in the D.C. plane crash.
"Our hearts grieve for the family, friends, and classmates of Grace Maxwell. Please join us in praying for her loved ones and the entire School of Engineering as we mourn this profound loss," the university stated.
Cedarville President Thomas White said during daily chapel service on Friday morning that he had spoke with Maxwell's father, who encouraged the campus to pray for them.
"I said, 'What can we do? There’s no words that make this OK, there’s nothing that makes this easier. I can’t say anything that takes away your hurt or your pain.' He said, 'You’re praying people. Pray for us.'"
White said she was returning to campus from her grandfather's funeral in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas.
"Can you imagine losing a parent and then seven days later losing a child? So I want us to pray for the Maxwell family," White said.
Maxwell was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering.
A statement from the university described her as a thoughtful student leader.
“Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering,” said Dr. Tim Norman in a statement. He served as her secondary advisor.
"Grace was scheduled to serve on a project team this semester that would begin to create a hand-stabilizing device for a differently enabled Dayton boy so he could feed himself rather than relying on others," Norman said.
Cedarville stated that their counseling services staff is on standby for those needing their services, and members of the school's Student Life and Christian Ministries team were available in the Jeremiah Chapel Friday.
The midair collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, NPR reported.
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner of Dayton said in a statement that he was heartbroken by Maxwell's tragic death.
“Her loss is felt deeply by all who knew her," Turner said. "My prayers are with her family, friends, and the entire Cedarville community as they grieve this unimaginable loss.”
