ASPEN, Colo. -- A shark attack in Tonga killed a former Aspen High student who was working as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Tessa Horan, 24, a student at Aspen High School from 1996 to 1998, died on Feb. 1 near the tiny village of Tu'anuku, on the island of Vava'u.

Friends said she was cooling off in the ocean after a soccer game when her right leg was bitten off by a shark. She died from a loss of blood.

Horan's mother, Kristena Prater, said her daughter had a hard time being away from her family for any length of time, so the Peace Corps was a challenge for her.

"She was just such a phenomenal person with so much grace," Prater told the Aspen Times. "I'm going to miss her so much."

Horan had only been in Tonga for two weeks, teaching soccer, art, English and computer skills to children.

After completing her sophomore and junior years at Aspen High School, she moved back to Santa Fe to live with her mother.

Horan graduated from the College of Santa Fe with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education in 2003 and worked as a substitute for Santa Fe public schools for several years. She also worked on the ski patrol at Santa Fe Ski Area and as a kayak instructor.

In Tonga, Tessa wanted to build a library for the village. After she died, her godfather decided to start a fund to help build the library. People have already donated more than $10,000, partially through a Web site: www.tessahoran.com.

"The dream she had to build this library," Prater said, "we're going to finish it for her."