Whitney Kae Covington, a 21 year-old University of Utah student, died Oct. 26 in a car accident.

Covington was a junior studying mass communication.

“She loved the U?She had a really fun time up there,” said David Covington, her father. “She loved the professors, the campus and the students. She lived and loved everybody.”

She was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attended the University 38th ward.

She was also active in sports, such as basketball, volleyball and softball, and she participated in concert chorale at the U for two years, her father said.

According to Communication Associate Professor Tim Larson, she was “a quiet person, but she did good work.”

Covington was in class and participated, but it was her first paper that caught Larson’s attention, he said.

“Her paper was so well written, but I didn’t know the name. When I handed it back, I identified her and the good work she did,” he said.

“She was the type of student that made you want to teach,” said Craig Wirth, professor of communication. “She was full of enthusiasm and energy. She was very quiet, but very thought-provoking. We’re going to miss her.”

Howie Arnstad, a teaching assistant for the communication department, taught Covington in an Introduction to Visual Media class.

“I noticed right away that she was a very focused student, she learned fast. She knew a ton, which is strange because you don’t see that a lot,” he said.

“She’s going to be missed in class because of her talents and knowledge,” he said. “I truly think she’ll be deeply missed by everyone.”