On the morning of Sept. 11, Andrew Stergiopoulos was brutally taken from us. Sterg, as he was known to most of his friends, was a lot like you and me. We met while we were both at GW. He was a smart guy with a quick wit and a rare talent. He was able to stir up trouble in a good-natured and kind-hearted way. His sense of humor and easygoing demeanor always made people feel comfortable. It enabled him to touch the lives of so many.

We studied at the Gelman Library, watched football games on television and we went out with our friends. On holidays we came back together to Long Island where we grew up. During the Spring Break of our senior year we went away to Cancun together with 10 other friends. We celebrated our successes and planned for bright futures.

We had big dreams for our lives after GW. Both of us spent most of our senior year traveling back and forth from New York interviewing, hoping to land a job at a trading firm somewhere in “The City.” For both of us, these aspirations were attained. Right out of school Sterg landed a job working at the eSpeed division of Cantor-Fitzgerald.

Sterg loved his life in New York. He cherished being close to family and friends. He enjoyed going out in the city and playing golf in Long Island. He took great pleasure in his job and the people he worked with.

Sterg’s office was on the 105th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center, the first to be hit by a plane Sept. 11. While we were hopeful at first, we never found Sterg, nor most of his colleagues.

Even though thousands are missing in New York, please remember Andrew Stergiopoulos. Remember that Sterg was just like you and me. He was a member of the GW community – a brother, a son, a boyfriend and a friend.

While there was a time in my life before I knew Sterg, I will never forget him or the impact he has had on my life.

-Ted Mermel
class of 2000