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Leslie Sherman

Leslie ShermanHistory was Leslie Sherman’s passion, said Deepika Chadive, her friend at West Springfield High School and at Virginia Tech.

"She was crazy about history," Chadive said. "She was president of the History Honors Society [in high school]. She and I did a history project that won for the school and went to the regional competition. We had such fun doing it."

Sherman, who was majoring in history and international affairs, was in the honors program at Virginia Tech, too.

"She always did well in school," Chadive said. "She made sure whatever she did was done the best."

Sherman and Chadive played freshman and junior varsity basketball in high school in Northern Virginia.

"She was always so encouraging," Chadive said. "Even if we were losing the basketball game, Leslie was even more encouraging than the coach."

But her real athletic love was running. She was a varsity cross-country runner in high school and competed in marathons in college, said Rochelle Ko, another friend from high school and Tech.

"Friday, she was planning to run in the Relay for Life race" sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Ko said.

Last Thanksgiving, instead of going home for the holiday, she traveled to New Orleans as part of the Blacksburg YMCA Alternative Break program. She raised money to give food to the homeless and helped with the cleanup from the destruction remaining from Hurricane Katrina.

"She was really outgoing and funny," Ko said. "She was carefree, someone who makes everyone laugh."

Sherman was in French class when the gunman invaded and shot students indiscriminately.

"There’s nothing more I can do but pray for her family," Chadive said.

— Gil Klein, Media General News Service

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