The George Washington University will hold a memorial service to celebrate the life of Sean Keefer at Ames Hall on the Mount Vernon Campus at 4 p.m. on Friday. All are welcome to attend.
Mr. Keefer, a 19-year-old freshman in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, passed away this week. A native of Portland, Ore., he lived in West Hall on the Mount Vernon Campus, where he was found in his room on Tuesday.
Mr. Keefer studied computer science and mathematics. He was an Honors student and was admitted to SEAS as a Clark Engineering Scholar.
“On behalf of our entire community, I extend my deepest condolences to Sean's family and all who knew him. I ask that we keep them in our thoughts and prayers,” George Washington President Steven Knapp said in a message to the GW community on Wednesday.
Mr. Keefer joined OpenGov—a group committed to making government more open and accessible—as a coding intern in October. Last week he finished his first project: creating the first online, accessible and user-friendly edition of the laws of Raleigh, N.C.
“Sean was a wonderful young man who loved to run and listen to music, but most of all, loved to code,” says a statement on the OpenGov website. “He was eager to push his work live, and put it into the hands of the people who deserve equal access to their government, but cannot secure it by themselves.”
For those struggling in the aftermath of this incident, counselors from the University Counseling Center will be available to students in West Hall Room 125 on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. They will also be available on Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and again at 6 to 9 p.m. UCC counselors will be in the Thurston piano lounge from 3:30 to 5:30 on Thursday.
Students who are not available during these times are encouraged to contact the University Counseling Center directly at 202-994-5300 or via the UCC website.