NAHJ Saddened by the Death of Member Leon Valdivieso, 25

Washington -- The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is saddened by the death of Leon Valdivieso, 25, who was killed Oct. 30 after being hit by a Metro train in Washington, D.C. Valdivieso, an NAHJ member, took part in the student campus during the association’s national convention this past June in Fort Worth, Texas.

The student campus is a week-long program that trains students about coverage issues, news writing and newsroom ethics. The program takes place during the association's annual convention.

Valdivieso was a resident of Germantown, MD, and a student at Montgomery College. His death has been ruled an accident.

Visitors can pay their respects to the family at the Embassy of Ecuador in Washington, D.C., from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, immediately followed by a mass at 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to UNICEF in Valdivieso’s name, the charity that he gave to. Leon was also an organ donor.

"It's just something we're all quite proud of," said his aunt Sylvana Jensen. "They used almost all of them and now there are other people living or have a better quality of life thanks to him."