Sergio Acero, Dental Student, Passes Away
Sergio Acero, D.D.S. Candidate 2016, passed away Saturday afternoon following a single vehicle motorcycle accident at 6:35 a.m. He was 27 years old.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Acero and his family moved to rural North Carolina in the early 1990s. Acero earned his undergraduate degrees in economics and pre-dental studies from UNC in 2009. During that time, he participated in the MED Program (Medical Education Development Program) in 2008. Later, he worked for the program in 2013.
Known among his fellow students as optimistic and generous, Acero gave much of his time outside of class to investing in the lives of his classmates. Whether hosting Super Bowl parties or birthday parties for his classmates, where his custom cakes always made an appearance, Acero welcomed his fellow students into his home and his life with open arms.
“Sergio was a bright light among us and he touched many people,” said Jane Weintraub, dean of the UNC School of Dentistry, in her email to students following the accident. “Our dental school will be diminished by his passing.”
Acero is survived by his mother, Zoraida, his father, Alfredo, of Elizabeth City, and his brother Danny. A memorial is planned for Acero on Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m. in his hometown of Elizabeth City, N.C. For more information about the service, visit http://www.twifordfh.com. A local memorial is currently being planned, but details were not available at the time of this posting.
