Friends and teachers remember Dickinson student who died in Guatemala
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Article RatingIt was his enthusiasm which impressed Susan Perabo the most.
As department chairperson, she had a brief encounter with Nathaniel Kirkland last October when he declared himself an English major at Dickinson College.
“He was dedicated,” recalled Perabo, an associate professor of English. “I had heard good things about him from his professors.
“I was excited about him being part of the major,” she added. “Professors are always thrilled about getting students who are passionate about what they are doing.”
Kirkland, 20, a second-year student from Philadelphia, died over the weekend while on a Serve the World trip to Guatemala.
In a message posted online, college President William Durden said Kirkland went swimming Saturday with a group of other students. He did not come out of the water with the others and local authorities announced his death Sunday, Durden said, adding that details are still emerging.
“As a resident adviser in Buchanan Hall, a Bonner Leader and founder of the Multimedia Club, Nate displayed the characteristics of a true Dickinsonian,” Durden said. “The Serve the World trip was a chance for Nate to further his commitment to community service; his willingness to help others will be missed terribly.”
International service
Christine Dugan, the college’s director of media relations, explained that Serve the World coordinates domestic and international service trips designed to immerse students and staff in communities throughout the United States and abroad.
The trips seek to confront underlying societal needs by asking questions, seeking connections and serving in various cultures and communities, Dugan said. Dickinson students helped to rebuild two adobe classrooms for children as part of a mission to provide hurricane relief through various reconstruction projects, she added.
Kirkland was on the trip with 17 other Dickinson students and several staff members, Durden said in his message.
The group had gone to swim at a life guarded beach after completing a day’s work.
“We do know that as the group made its way out of the water and onto the shore, Nate was not among them,” Durden said. “Lifeguards began searching immediately.”
Durden said local authorities confirmed the accidental death Sunday.
“This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with Nate’s family and friends in their time of grief,” Durden said.
The remaining Dickinson students are returning home “as soon as possible,” he added. Other staff from Dickinson and the United Methodist Church, which sponsors the program, will remain in Guatemala to assist the family.
Services pending
Durden said details for a college memorial service will be shared when more information is available as well as information about the family’s funeral plans in Philadelphia.
“Nate touched many of our lives and his sudden loss comes as a shock,” Durden said. “The college’s support services and staff are available to assist all of us during this difficult time.”
The Bonner Leaders Program is a program of the national Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation of Princeton, N.J., and is supported at Dickinson by the Office of Religious Life and Community Services, Durden explained.
Bonner Leaders build a bridge between the Dickinson campus and the Carlisle community by applying their education in a practical way through 450 hours of community service work during a calendar year, Dugan said.
