Jocelyne Couture-Nowak Tribute

Couture-Nowak was teaching an Intermediate French class in Room 211 at Norris Hall on the morning of April 16, 2007 when she was killed by Seung-Hui Cho as one of the 32 victims in the Virginia Tech massacre. Couture-Nowak, one of the first to be shot in Norris 211, was 49-years-old when she died.

After Clay Violand, one of Couture-Nowak's students, ordered her to place a desk in front of the door  Couture-Nowak had her students barricade the classroom door with a desk and then ushered her students to the back of the class for their safety while 911 was called. The attempt at barricading the door proved unsuccessful.  Couture-Nowak and 11 of the 22 registered students  perished. Couture-Nowak died in front of the door and next to the teacher's desk.