Erik Jon Aasen

Born in Chico, California, Eric was two years old when his family moved to Waverly, Iowa. Nine years later, they moved to St.Peter, Minnesota when Erik was in the fifth grade. His commitment to and enjoyment of running began in high school. The highlight of his high school career came when Erik ran the last leg of the sprint medlay relay, winning the state championship in that event at the Class AA level in 1986. Erik was the valedictorian of his class. Erik graduated from Hope College, Holland, Michigan in 1990 with a major in physics. While his major was physics, the humanities and religion courses were his favorite classes. His academic achievements included being accepted into Phi Betta Kappa and earning the highest academic distinction, graduating summa cum laude, along with many other academic honors. He lettered on the Cross County Team for all four years. Following graduation from Hope, Erick was granted a fellowship in engineering from the University of Colorado. During that time, his struggle with choosing a career resulted in some deep soul searching. After looking at the options, he decided that Physical Therapy would be the best match for him, incorporating his physics background, along with his passion for running and physical conditioning. At the time of his death, Erik was six months away from graduating with a Masters in Physical Therapy from the Mayo School of Health Related Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. His ultimate goal was to receivea doctorate and become a professor of Physical Therapy. He loved to teach and spent many informal hours selflessly faciliating the learning of his peers. Erik, from the time he was a small boy, had a passion for learning. He was always cirous, a 'deep thinker' and challenged by the 'why' and 'how' questions of the meaning and purpose of life as posed by the sciences and humanities. He believed that there was something to be learned from every situation. Erik pursued excellence in all that he did. To meet his goals, he studied, researched, practiced, and pushed his conditioning to the highest level. He was quietly competive. The needs of the oppressed and poor were of particular concern to Erik. He felt he had an obligation to make this world a better place for those who were not blessed with the advantages he had been gifted. He was extremely principled and would not compromise his moral standards and values under any circumstances. Even though Erik tended to stay in the background, his thoughts and opinions frequently influenced the outcome of a group discussion or activity because he was so respected. Integrity, a positive attitude, enthusiastic, high energy, and humor were words that described Erik. He was a devoted Star Trek fan, an enthusiastic biker, an avid volleyball player, and fascinated by dinosaurs. Erik's philosophy is summed up in this sentence that was written as part of a Geronology class paper. 'What matters to me in life is not where I live or when I die, but rather how I live and with whome I share my life, my experiences, and my love.'