The 25-year-old valedictorian had studied and worked in international development
A University of Ottawa graduate was among the 157 people killed in Sunday’s tragic Ethiopia Airlines plane crash.
It was confirmed Sunday by Global News that 25-year-old Stephanie Lacroix had graduated from U of O in 2015 with a bachelor’s in social science, studying international development. Since then, she had worked with several organizations in that field, including as a coordinator for development organization WUSC in Lilongwe, Malawi, and as with the United Nations Association in Canada in Ottawa.
Lacroix was the valedictorian for her graduating class in the social sciences program.
Tributes to Lacroix by her friends and family have abounded on social media since the crash. “We lost a lot Sunday in the Ethiopian plane crash but I’m devastated we lost you Steph… Your humanitarian work will never be forgotten,” wrote Shanel Dear, a friend of Stephanie’s, on Twitter.
A former classmate tweeted that Lacroix was “a bright light in our lives at uOttawa.”
“She worked so hard to get where she was, with so much kindness and love,” wrote the classmate, Megan Beretta.
Lacroix’s uncle Gilles Lamarche also posted a tribute, writing “you leave an exceptional legacy of love and service, and will be missed by thousands. You left your mark without a doubt and made a BIG difference.”
More to follow
