Virginia Tech Student to be Guest of President Bush Tonight

By: MikeSizemore
Published On: 1/28/2008 6:59:13 PM


A 2007 Virginia Tech graduate will be a special guest of the President's at tonight's State of the Union address. Kevin Sterne, who's story of instinct and survival amidst unspeakable evil on April 16th, is truly inspiring. One of the more infamous images from that day was that of Kevin being carried by police and rescue workers, but I have decided not to post the image since his decision to return to Virginia Tech for his Master's shows that he is persevering toward a much brighter future.

The following is a description of Kevin from the White House website:

Kevin Sterne, age 23, and a 2007 undergraduate of Virginia Tech with a double degree in Electrical Engineering and in Media Communications, was in Norris Hall on Virginia Tech's campus on April 16, 2007, when a shooter went on a rampage killing 32 people and then himself. Mr. Sterne was shot twice in the right leg while he was in Room 207, the German class, and he saw several of his classmates killed. Mr. Sterne knew he was bleeding to death, so he fashioned an electrical cord as a tourniquet to stop his wounds from bleeding until the rampage ended and he could be carried to safety by emergency personnel. One of Mr. Sterne's gunshot wounds ruptured his femoral artery, which caused him to lose a substantial amount of blood, but as an Eagle Scout, Mr. Sterne's training and quick thinking helped him save his own life. The photograph of Mr. Sterne being carried by rescue workers with the tourniquet around his wounded leg became a defining image of the worst school shooting in our country's history. Mr. Sterne has returned to Virginia Tech this fall to pursue a master's degree in electrical engineering, and he also works at the school's radio station as the chief engineer for WUVT-FM.  

Great choice, Mr. President.


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