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Pg. 30 INSIDE LNORTHERNUMBER ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT J VOICEACK SINCE 1914 • VOL 101 • ISSUE 20 • FEB. 12 - FEB. 18, 2015 KAYLA AID WORKER’S MUELLER: DEATH ORDINARY WORK, CONFIRMED EXTRAORDINARY LIFE BY SCOTT BUFFON BY KEVIN MORROW he White House has confi rmed the & MITCHELL FORBES death of worker and ayla Mueller was a humanitarian from NAU alumna Kayla Mueller while beingT held hostage by the Islamic State (ISIS) Prescott, Ariz., who wanted to impact the world as she traveled it. Mueller had in . aK deep care for others — friends recall Mueller ISIS fi rst reported her death Feb. 6, trying to teach Syrian prison guards origami. As claiming a Jordanian airstrike struck the Mueller saw poverty and injustices in the world, facility she was being held in. Th e Offi ce of she asked herself what she could do to improve Public Aff airs at NAU sent out a campus-wide the situations of those less fortunate. email on the morning of Feb. 10 spreading Mueller grew up in Prescott and in 2007 news of the White House confi rmation. graduated from Tri-City College Prep High “Th e Northern Arizona University family School, a local charter school where Mueller was is deeply saddened by the loss of alumna already interested in activism and other cultures. Kayla Jean Mueller,” said NAU President Rita She was part of the Youth Count volunteer Cheng. “Th is is absolutely heartbreaking and program in Prescott Valley, according to an our thoughts are with her family and friends.” article from Th e Daily Courier. Th is program Mueller, a 2009 graduate in political collaborates with other community programs to science and international aff airs, grew up in aid youth dealing with issues such as drug abuse. Prescott, Ariz. Her humanitarian work took While in high school, Mueller was her to Guatemala, , France, Kenya, Israel, involved with eff orts to oppose snowmaking Palestine, and fi nally Syria. on the nearby San Francisco Peaks and clean up According to a statement by school Arizona’s Verde River. superintendent Mary Ellen Halvorson, “We In 2007, Mueller came to Northern Arizona at Tri-City College Prep High School are University to study political science. Mueller was deeply saddened at the loss of our student a student in a hurry, graduating in fi ve semesters. Kayla Mueller. She will be missed by her During her time at NAU, Mueller exhibited Tri-City Prep family and friends. She was a deep interest in human rights and social an outstanding student, always interested in justice through her involvement with a number humanitarian issues, and a true leader. She of campus groups, including NAU’s chapter made a huge impact on the world in her short of STAND, a student anti-genocide coalition. time here.” Mueller also spent a semester covering arts and Mueller was taken captive around , entertainment for Th e Lumberjack in spring Syria, on Aug. 4, 2013. see CONFIRMATION page 5 2008. Mueller joined STAND:NAU in 2007 while INSIDE: MUELLER Ellie Kinzel was the president of the group. REMEMBERED PAGE 5 Kinzel, who now lives in Madison, Wis., said Mueller was “very interested in helping others.” Aft er Kinzel’s time as president at STAND:NAU, Mueller became president of the group, strongly advocating for action in Darfur, where over 400,000 civilians were killed between 2003 and 2008. see EXTRAORDINARY page 4 Casey Myrick/The Lumberjack Go to Jackcentral.org for daily updates, multimedia packages, extra content and stories before the issue hits the stands.