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A former Highland High School student has died while serving in Iraq.

Army Spc. Stephen M. Kowalczyk, 32, of San Diego was killed Wednesday in Muqdadiyah by small-arms fire, the Department of Defense said.

He was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Kowalczyk and his family lived in Albuquerque while his father was serving in the Air Force. The soldier graduated from Highland High and was a member of the Hornets swim team.

Kowalczyk joined the Army three years ago, according to his mother, Gerry Kowalczyk of Boulder, Colo.

"Steve absolutely loved being in the Army," she said.

"And he said he was happy when he was sent to Iraq," she added. "He wrote me letters saying what a beautiful country Iraq was," despite the war.

Gerry Kowalczyk said she recently sent her son a care package of the pencils, notepads and Hershey bars he had requested. He told his mother he gave the gifts away to Iraqi children.

"I'm proud that he liked what he was doing," she said. "He was a wonderful kid, a terrific little kid, joyful, sweet and wonderful. It's a terrific loss."

Besides his mother, Kowalczyk is survived by a brother and four sisters. He was preceded in death by his father.