The Catholic University community mourns the tragic death of Daniel Anderl, a member of the class of 2022, who was killed on July 19, 2020. Daniel was a bright light on campus, beloved by both his friends and teachers, who planned to pursue a career in law. This loss has deeply impacted our community, and we offer our prayers and condolences to Daniel’s parents, Mark Anderl and Esther Salas.
Following the news of this tragedy, a family of Catholic University alumni – Breda, B.A. 1980, and George Shelton along with their daughter, Candace Sandifer, J.D. 2007, and her husband, Collin – approached the Division of University Advancement to discuss the creation of a scholarship in Daniel’s memory, an initiative that was then approved by his parents. These generous donors have already pledged $30,000 toward the overall goal of $100,000 to create an endowment that will award a partial tuition scholarship in perpetuity, and they are hopeful that others will join them in this effort.
As always, we are awed by the power of the Catholic University community, which has come together to pay tribute to this special young man and find a way to bring light out of darkness. This scholarship will ensure that Daniel’s memory — and the faith and values he embodied while a student — lives on through the students who receive it.
In July, a group of Daniel’s friends at the University provided a statement to NBC4 sharing some of the many things they loved about him:
“He was our Dan, who loved to dance and sing with us and always double-checked that everyone got home safe after a night out. He was our Dan, who begged to take naps on the floor of our dorm room just because he thought the rug was really fluffy. He was our Dan, who had a contagious smile and would sit outside and talk about anything with us. He was our Dan, who told us all to stop studying for a night and enjoy life and be a college student.”
— Excerpt from a statement by friends of Daniel
Please make a gift that would help this scholarship become a reality.
