A 19-year-old ISU student en route to Ames died in a car accident last week after he stopped along the way to visit his grandmother. Michael Paulson, who was about to begin his second year in chemical engineering, died in an accident on Highway 60 outside Le Mars, about 35 miles east of his hometown, Vermillion, SD. His death left a void in the hearts and lives of his family and friends. Len Griffith, counselor at Vermillion High School, described Paulson as “an excellent student.” “He was an honors graduate,” Griffith said of Paulson, 1999 graduate of Vermillion High School. “He chose Iowa State because it is a school that offers many different aspects of his major. Engineering was the field he had chosen at that point.” In addition to graduating with honors and being a National Merit Scholar, Paulson excelled in many extracurricular activities. “Mike was active in debate and oral interpretation, and he was also an Eagle Scout, which he was very, very proud of,” Griffith said. A love for the outdoors, which was enhanced by family trips to a cabin in the Black Hills, prompted Paulson to get involved in many outdoor sports. “He loved the outdoors, and hiking and climbing,” Linda Paulson, Michael’s mother said. “He also loved computer games, and he loved to read.” Paulson’s memory lives on with the residents of Larch Hall’s Kehlenbeck House, of which he was a resident last year. “Even though he was so quiet, he would come into a room and sit until just the right moment,” remembered Lindsay Case, a Kehlenbeck resident and sophomore in elementary education. “Then he would say something out of the blue and make everybody laugh.” Many of Paulson’s friends made the trip to South Dakota Saturday to bid a final farewell. However, it is a year’s worth of memories ingrained in their lives that will keep Paulson’s spirit alive. “When we were decorating the den for Halloween, he was helping out by dressing as a mannequin,” Case said. “People would come into our den and poke him and wave their hands in front of him, but he wouldn’t move until they turned around. Then he would tap him on the shoulder and scare them so bad.” Griffith added that Iowa State was the perfect college choice for Paulson. “It had the Midwestern ethics and the size he wanted, as well as the academic level and expertise in engineering,” he said. “Also, it was close to home so he could go back and forth. It was his first choice.” Linda Paulson said her son enjoyed his year at Iowa State. “He really liked going to school down there,” she said. “He took classes during the first session of summer school, too.” Paulson’s sense of humor and sheer friendliness had a lasting effect on those around him. “He was a quiet guy, but he had his very strong friends on the floor. Once you got to know him, he was hilarious, and a very, extremely friendly guy,” said Ryan Mau, another Kehlenbeck resident and sophomore in pre-business. “He was one of the greatest guys you could ever know.” Cards or letters may be sent to Tom and Linda Paulson, Michael’s parents, 209 Catalina Ave., Vermillion, SD, 57069.