CEDARVILLE, Ohio (BP) — Grace Maxwell was returning from her grandfather’s funeral to her studies at Cedarville University when the jet carrying her and 63 others collided with a U.S. Army helicopter on approach to Reagan National Airport, killing all on board both aircraft.
During a chapel service this morning (Jan. 31), Cedarville president Thomas White relayed a discussion he had with Maxwell’s father, now facing the death of his daughter following that of his father.
“I said, ‘What can we do?’ White shared. “There are no words that make this OK. 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.’”
Maxwell, 20, was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. Her semester project was creating a hand-stabilizing device that could be used for things like helping a person feed themselves.
“We don’t know why a young, bright, shining star was taken from us way too soon. But we know there’s a God that will make all things new,” White said today. “So, we grieve, but not as those without hope.”
The U.S. Army Black Hawk was flying higher than normal, which placed it in the path of the plane, the New York Times reported. Both aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River after the collision.
“[P]lease join me in praying for the Maxwell family during the days ahead,” White wrote in a letter to the Cedarville University community yesterday. “Please also remember Grace’s friends and the entire School of Engineering as we mourn her loss.”
Northside Bible Chapel in Valley Center, Kan., posted on Facebook that Maxwell was a part of an outreach ministry for several years.
“We will deeply miss her kind and gentle spirit,” it read. “We take comfort in knowing that we will be reunited with her again. Please offer your prayers and support to her parents and brother during this difficult time.”
Counseling services will available in the school’s chapel, White said today.
“I want you to know, you are loved,” he told students. “… If you just need to come by and pray … gather with some friends … pray for the Maxwell family … do what you need to do. We’re going to take that next step forward.”
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