2008 Woodie Awards
UNL student dies on Puerto Rican spring break
Jamie Klein
Issue date: 3/24/08 Section: News
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The sophomore wildlife pathology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln had a passion for nature.
"He talked about (the trip) for months," said Smith's girlfriend of two years, Jaia Johnson. "He was just extremely excited to go."
Before leaving for the UNL-sponsored trip focused on fisheries and wildlife, Smith checked and rechecked his luggage, much to Johnson's disappointment.
"I put funny notes in his bag for him to find later," Johnson said.
The notes said "I love you," "I miss you," "Brush your teeth" and "Wear sunscreen, you white-ass."
"He found a couple of them before he left, so I was kind of mad (that) he was checking his bag," Johnson said.
When he found some of the notes, "he just gave me a hug and laughed," she said.
Smith, 20, died on March 15 at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan while on the trip. Smith had been walking outside with friends when he collapsed. He died shortly after.
Authorities haven't determined the cause of death and don't suspect foul play.
Smith's family takes comfort in his opportunity to experience many of the things he loved, including this trip.
"He had the opportunity to go on this research trip," said his mother, JoAnn Smith. "He was thrilled."
Smith had called his girlfriend earlier in the day before he died.
"He told me he was having a really good time and that he was getting ready to go to the bat cave," Johnson said.
Smith shared a love of the outdoors with his father, John, and would often hike, fish and star gaze, she said.
"He was always a nature boy and kind of geeky," his mother said.
Johnson remembers Smith showing her the side of him that loved nature while visiting him in the laboratory where he worked as a teaching assistant.
"Sometimes I went and visited him in the lab, and he'd show me all the nasty rats and frogs in jars, and he got really excited about them," Johnson, a UNL sophomore, said jokingly.
The secondary Spanish education major also remembers how Smith used to tease her by trying to speak Spanish.
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