PSU student dies in Greece
By Danielle VickeryCollegian Staff WriterA Penn State student studying abroad in Athens, Greece, died Tuesday from injuries he sustained almost a week earlier when he was hit by a car.
Eric Stearns, who is listed as a supply chain and information systems major, was hit by a car April 2 and was in a coma until he died Tuesday.
A student from the University of Michigan was also injured in the accident, Education Abroad Director John Keller said.
"We're very saddened. He was studying in a county he really wanted to study in," Keller said.
He added that Stearns' parents have since traveled to Greece to be with their son.
Eric Carothers (junior-secondary education), a friend of Stearns, said that he did not realize how bad Stearns' condition was when another friend told him about the accident last week.
"He was really outgoing, one of the most that I knew," Carothers said.
"He was always trying to get to know people. He was really talkative."
Carothers said he believed Stearns was studying abroad in Greece because he had Greek heritage.
"We were saddened to learn of Eric's death and extend our most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," Associate to the President for Administration Tom Poole wrote in an e-mail message on behalf of Penn State.
Carothers said Stearns was accepting and nice to everyone he knew.
"It's just still kind of setting in," said Carothers, who grew up in the same neighborhood with Stearns.
"Over the summer when he's not home, it will be a lot harder then."
Keller said the staff of Athens Centre, where Stearns was studying, has been helpful throughout the situation, and that counseling and support will be available for other students in the program.
The Athens Centre program lasts for 15 weeks, and faculty from the Athens Centre and Penn State provide instruction for the courses, according to international.psu.edu.
"We're very sorry for Eric and his family and intend to be in touch very soon," Keller also said.
"It's a sad situation," he added.
Eric was a fellow study abroader in Greece with me, he was my roommate, and he was my friend. All of us will miss him... we had a great 3 months with him here in Greece. He really enjoyed the experience here; his mother said that Eric had wanted to come to Greece ever since he was 12 years old. Eric celebrated his 21st birthday in January when we were in Santorini, and he had the time of his life (as he told his mom on the phone about his birthday)--it was a great time.
Please pray for his family (especially his Mom, Dad, and younger brother, Stephen) and his friends to stay strong in this very difficult time.
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