WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Blacksburg family remembers daughter Austin Cloyd
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She loved kids, worked to give back to the community, and one day wanted to become a member of the United Nations. That's how 18-year-old Austin Michelle Cloyd is being remembered.
Cloyd was one of the 32 people gunned down Monday. The Cloyd family moved to Blacksburg in 2005. Austin graduated from Blacksburg High School in 2006. She would have been 19-years-old on Monday.
While this birthday will be bittersweet, the family is trying to celebrate all Austin did in her 18 years. "She was fun loving, serious though about goals. She had plans and then took available of opportunities," says Austin's mother, Renee Cloyd.
The Freshman at Virginia Tech had a double major, international studies and french. She was about to declare a minor in environmental policy. On Monday, Austin Cloyd was attending a French class in Norris Hall when the shooting began.
The news is devastating to her family, but especially Austin's father. Bryan Cloyd is a Virginia Tech faculty member.
Austin had visited more than a half-dozen different countries, was in the Model U.N., the Honors Program, and many other organizations. One thing that was near and dear to her heart was the Appalachian Service Project. It's an organization she had volunteered with for the last four years.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking people to make donations in Austin's memory to the Appalachian Service Project.
