UNIVERSITY PARK -- Recent Penn State graduate David Suarez, one
of the thousands who perished Sept. 11 at the World Trade Center,
was remembered as a charismatic and high-energy young man who was
clear about what he wanted to do with his life.
Instructor Elena Joshi, Suarez's adviser, said the industrial and
manufacturing engineering program teaches its students to be problem
solvers and Suarez thrived in that environment. "He was a great
student -- he just always put forth his best effort," Joshi
said.
Terry Boles, president of Kappa Alpha fraternity, said as rush
chairman, Suarez channeled his energy into recruiting new members
after the fraternity obtained a new house for itself at 234 E.
Beaver Ave.
"He dedicated his entire semester to it," Boles said, "and the
result was the biggest pledge class we've had in a long time."
Suarez, 24, graduated from Penn State in 1999 and immediately
began work with information technology consultants Deloitte
Consulting in Chadds Ford.
Suarez was on the 99th floor of the World Trade Center north
tower -- he'd gone there to help a company to implement Oracle
software -- when the first hijacked airliner struck at about 8:45
a.m. Sept. 11.
Penn State professor Soundar Kumara, who teaches industrial
engineering, computer science and information technology, had Suarez
in two courses and kept in touch with him after he left the
university.
"He wanted to do information technology -- his goal was to become
an IT consultant," Kumara said. "He was very clear in his mind what
he wanted to do."
Kumara recalled that Suarez, tragically as it turned out, was a
very punctual student. Suarez arrived ahead of three others for the
Sept. 11 meeting with clients at the World Trade Center, Kumara
said. Three others who were late survived.
"He was extremely motivated," Kumara said. "He was always ahead
in doing things, including coming to meetings -- he was
early."
