ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 29, 1997 TAG: 9703310064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Henry Tien was the valedictorian of his 1993 class, and planned on attending medical school.
Henry Tien, Salem High School's valedictorian in 1993, died this week while hiking in Yosemite National Park in California.
Tien, a 21-year-old senior at Stanford University, was hiking Monday with his girlfriend on the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail when he fell, according to The Associated Press.
His girlfriend was walking ahead of him and did not see him fall, authorities said. There were no other witnesses, and park rangers did not immediately know how the accident happened.
Tien suffered head injuries and was airlifted to a hospital in Modesto, Calif., where he died.
"We were shocked to hear it," said Betsy McClearn, assistant principal at Salem High. "Everyone loved the young man when he was here."
Tien received an International Baccalaureate diploma when he graduated from Salem. The IB program is a rigorous curriculum that requires students to complete courses in literature, language, social studies, science, math and theory of knowledge, and to write a 4,000-word research paper.
McClearn, coordinator of Salem's IB program, said Tien was an outstanding student. He was planning to enter medical school after he graduated from Stanford.
Tien was a member of Salem High's state championship tennis team.
The school will have a memorial service for him April 18. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Salem Education Foundation, 400 Spartan Drive, Salem 24153, for an endowment that is being created in Tien's honor, McClearn said.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB