Student Julie Kovar, an aspiring first-grade teacher living out her dream by attending Penn State, died with her parents by her side Wednesday night. Kovar was studying abroad in Australia.

Julie's father, Stuart, said she began complaining of stomach pains after a trip to the movies last weekend. She was later admitted to the hospital with a perforated ulcer.

Stuart traveled to Sydney to be with his daughter and said she had been steadily recovering.

However, when things began to worsen, he asked his wife, Ellen, to join him, according to an e-mail distributed among university officials yesterday. Julie passed away Wednesday night of liver failure.

Kovar was a junior working toward a degree in elementary education. She arrived in Sydney a month ago and was studying at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for the semester.

Her mother said Julie enjoyed a "meteoric, wonderful life" in her 20 years, and accomplished more than some do in an entire lifetime.

She said Julie relished her time spent with her sorority sisters at Sigma Kappa and her friends at Penn State. Members of Sigma Kappa said they did not want to comment last night.

"Penn State was her dream school, and she made it and she loved it," her mother said. "We don't know why this happened."

Stuart said Julie was excited to study in Sydney after hearing about it from her sophomore-year roommate, an exchange student from Australia. He said she was having a wonderful time while living in an apartment with other students in the program. Her room-

mates in the apartment were devastated by the loss, Jan Bardetta, director of UNSW study abroad, said.

Ellen said Julie "really wanted to be a first-grade teacher," and her father said she was set to begin student teaching before graduating next spring.

Bardetta said Julie was volunteering once a week at a local elementary school while in Sydney.

Diane Bremer, Julie's academic adviser in the College of Education, said she had just received an e-mail this week from Julie's dad, who was asking about scheduling Julie's classes for the fall. She said she had also received e-mails from Julie early this month making sure she was on track to graduate next year.

"I really enjoyed my association with Julie," Bremer said. "We too are very saddened by this news and also very surprised because it happened so quickly."

Education Abroad Director John Keller sent out an internal e-mail yesterday morning, informing Penn State President Graham Spanier and other officials of Kovar's passing. The e-mail states that Kovar's death is the first of a Penn State student studying abroad during his tenure.

The e-mail concludes by mentioning that on Wednesday, Keller's office had presented a study with Risk Management that estimated about 24 study-abroad students die overseas per year.

"We're sad that a Penn State student is now among this unhappy statistic," Keller wrote.