Taitung: Administrators at Taitung's Guan-Shan Elementary School are mourning the death of Kiah Duggins, who taught English at the school as a Fulbright Scholarship recipient in 2017-18 and was killed in a plane crash in Washington, D.C. last week.

According to Focus Taiwan, Duggins, 30, was among 67 victims killed when an American Airlines passenger plane collided with a U.S. Army helicopter at low altitude while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29. The American Institute in Taiwan acknowledged her tragic passing through a Facebook post, highlighting her role as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at the school in Guanshan Township.

In an interview with CNA, Chen Wen-ling, the principal of Guan-Shan Elementary School, shared that teachers were in a state of shock and sadness upon learning of Duggins' death. Though Chen became principal after Duggins' tenure, she frequently heard positive recollections from teachers about Duggins' time at the school.

Chuang Fang-jou, the school's academic affairs director, recounted her memories of Duggins in a message shared with CNA. Chuang remembered Duggins as someone who engaged warmly with students, often eliciting laughter in the classroom. Duggins' commitment to her students was evident when she took individual photos with each student, creating personalized cards with handwritten messages.

Guan-Shan Elementary School, home to over 300 students, witnessed Duggins' dedication to fostering a nurturing environment. Chuang expressed personal sorrow at the loss of a person she described as wonderful, noting her hope that Duggins' soul was at peace.

After her time in Taiwan, Duggins pursued a legal education at Harvard Law School, aspiring to become a law professor at Howard University, as indicated by AIT.