Daniel Pérez Cueva, 21, was an outdoorsman who loved swimming.

"My son drew up an objective, and he did everything possible to reach it," his mother, Betty Cueva, told Peruvian radio station RPP Noticias.

Cueva attended two high schools and graduated from C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, said close friend Megan Mirmelstein. He spent single years at Miami Dade (Fla.) College and Northern Virginia Community College before transferring to Tech.

"He was my best friend at school," said Mirmelstein. "We did everything together. We were in class together, we ate breakfast and lunch together we went to movies. He liked to make me watch scary movies.

"He spoke four languages -- English, Spanish, French and a bit of Italian. He was trying to get a summer internship at the French Embassy," she said.

Dr. Ionnis Stivachtis, director of the International Studies program at Virginia Tech, said Cueva was one of the department's brightest students.

"Actually, I had to recommend Daniel as an ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts recently. These ambassadors are the link between the college and the outside world. He was very involved."

"I had him in a class last year. He was a very good student.

"I knew him well because as the director, I have an open door policy. He'd just come by to say hello."

Mala Kumar, president of the International Relations Organization at Virginia Tech, said he was an active member. "I owe him many thanks for all the time and effort he put into the club. He was poised to be an officer next year."

Kumar said that Cueva, an International Studies major, was deciding whether or not to turn his French minor into a second major.

"He had a dog, which he lovingly brought back and forth from Woodbridge (where his mother lives) to Blacksburg. Daniel was a fantastic, sensitive, smart human being, and a great dancer. He attributed that to his Latin roots," said Kumar. Larissa Mihalisko was another friend from the IROVT. ""Daniel was funny beyond reason, someone I could always crack jokes with. We would speak in other languages together, all mixed up and usually not making much sense, but always ending in hysterics." she said.

"He was my bambino, a fantastic swimmer and a sucker for his adorable puppy, Shiloh," said Mihalisko. "He had the biggest smile always spread across his face.

"He taught our friends how to dance like proper Peruvians and dressed up like a "Latino Baby" for Halloween."

Cueva's brothers live in New York and Florida, and a sister lives in Washington. His father, Flavio Pérez, lives in Peru and is trying to obtain a humanitarian visa to travel to the United States to be with his family.

-- Lisa Crutchfield