2023_YSHS_Senior_Special_Edition

There are so many fond memories I hold of Yellow Springs. I know it sounds cheesy to say, but I truly feel the peers and adults who were a part of my development were unlike any people I’ll ever get to meet in the rest of my life. I believe Yellow Springs has some sort of invisible magnet for inter- esting and devoted, lovely people whose life goal is to impact the character of as many students and people as possible. There have been so many teachers who have played such an essential role in influencing my growth as a person. I still remember being in Mr. May’s third grade class, and being astounded I got to be in the coolest guy in the world’s class. Not only did he play guitar and have a killer haircut, but he was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known and taught me to respect all opinions and preferences, no matter if they fit mine or not. Ms. Mabra transformed me from a snotty little kid to a slightly less snotty little kid, and I first understood the intricacies of social interactions and how to place myself in others’ shoes, which seems pretty meta- phorical and whimsical for first and second grade, but that’s just the power of a teacher like Ms. Mabra. Ms. Pettiford first introduced me to the wonderful world of history, and it was with her that I first began my descent into history, and I will always be grateful for that. Ms Pettiford, like her lovely sister, Ms. Reichert, were the sweetest teachers at Yellow Springs and I looked up to them immensely. Mr. McCoy was the first teacher to fully spark my interest in history, igniting a spark into a full fire. Mr. Comstock has to be the coolest guy in all of Yellow Springs, and he’s made every one of my days a million times better just by being able to greet me in the hallways. His guitar playing skills matched with his wonderful devotion to truly learn- ing and caring about students makes him eligible for the Isaac Award for Coolest Teacher, if such an award did exist. During high school there have been so many teachers who have impacted me, but none like Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith is my favor- ite teacher of all time, and someone who I aspire to be like. His attitudes on educa- tion, the community and life as a whole are so passionate and caring that he can’t help but rile a similar passion in yourself for the same subjects. Mr. Smith has constantly pushed me to expand my horizons and push myself in academics and life experience. Hearing his stories and philosophies are always entertaining and taking his class has been my favorite part of attending YSHS. I’d also like to give a shout-out to Ms. Eguaroje, of course, whose happy attitude and infectious smile always make my day. Despite some of its shortcomings, I’m very glad I was raised by Yellow Springs. Being able to bike around town with friends and not fully rely on parents for driving is one of the best things about growing up in the village. Despite my lim- ited memory, I will always remember the small, insignificant things about my child- hood here. I’ll always remember riding the bus home with friends and being amazed at how loud it got. I can never forget the lemonade and water booths lined up during Street Fair, with Yellow Springs kids turning into bar tering merchants overnight. And I’ll always remember the times I’d meet up with/run into a small group of friends, searching for something to do in the middle of Ohio. Now is a good place to stop my rambling and tell you about my plans for the future. I am attending The College of Wooster this fall and planning on majoring in history. I hope to eventually become a teacher or a professor, and hopefully impact others the way countless Yellow Springs mentors have impacted me. Thanks for listening to me spout a bunch of junk. Hopefully I’ll see you around. Au revoir! BENJAMIN ESPINOSA PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Eric and Casey Espinosa Living in Yellow Springs wouldn’t be the same without my friends. I’ve made so many during my time here, but some will forever have a special place in my heart. I have them to thank for making so many memories that I’ll never forget. I have Yellow Springs Schools to thank for giving me the opportunity to meet these people, which changed the direction of my life. I’d like to thank all my teach- ers and coaches for making my time here much more enjoyable. ELI EYRICH PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Cynthia Eyrich; Jef f and Kristen Eyrich I went to preschool in YS and have attended YS Schools my entire academic career. I will be attending WIlmington University to continue my education and soccer career. I will be studying sports science. Overall, my time in the Yellow Springs community has helped me get to where I am today. The teachers and community members have been amazing and helped me grow as a person. Shout-out to the best class, the class of 2023, for being the best and most athletic class this school has ever seen. Also shout- out to the 2022–23 boys soccer team for making history and having a season I will remember for the rest of my life. Thanks, Coach Ben, for leading us through all our success. Thank you, Coach Trimbach, for building a bond that will never be broken and for being someone I could always count on. Thanks to all my family and friends for constantly supporting me and being there when I needed them. Thanks to the best ball boy in the world, Xander. Thanks to the best sports supporters I know, my Nana Karen, my Grandpa Don, and my brother, Drevin. Thank you, Cindy, for being the best mother I could ever ask for. Thank you, Jeff, for being the best father and athletic director I could ask for. Thank you, Kristen, for being the best stepmother I could ask for. Shout-out to my best friend/brother, Dylon Mapes; and my best friends Ben Espinosa; the twins, Jason and Ethan Knemeyer; Tallis Onfroy-Curley; JP Anderson; Liam McClean; and Josh Clark. JUNO FREEMAN PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Nicole and Jake Freeman My time at Yellow Springs High School was interesting to say the least. I’m not going to go into all my issues with my personal high school experience because I don’t want to come off as bitter, and I have a feeling a lot of people are going to have a lot to say, so I’ll just say this: As much as I have complained over my years, I am glad to have grown up here so that I could realize that I needed more. I am glad that I went to Mills Lawn and I’m glad to have been raised in such a tight-knit commu- nity with a lot of wonderful people — but this town is not enough for me right now, and that is OK. It’s nice to have a place to escape from, but still have the option to go back to. I will always have a home here and that makes me feel happy and safe. I am thankful for Ms. Sears; Ms. Fickert; Ms. Sparrow-Knapp and the theater pro- gram in general (especially the costume crew ^_- <3); my parents; Saelah Gisslen; the girls bathroom; my 504 plan, which let me use my headphones whenever I wanted; the abandoned factory before it was MAS- SACRED; the Goodwill by Kroger; and finally, all my friends and the memories we’ve made. I love you all dearly and I hope to make more memories this summer. This fall I will be taking on the world with my hair blowing in the wind and my ego on 1,000,000. I will be attending com- munity college somewhere for a year to get my GPA up and then I will be applying for fashion schools in New York. MERP ;P EMMANUEL FRIERSON I enjoyed my time here at YS. Thank you to everyone who’s helped me along the way. CERÓN GOMEZ JACK GRAY-CIRRINCIONE ZOE HAMILTON PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Kate and Chris Hamilton I moved to Yellow Springs from San Antonio when I was 7. It was a pretty quiet, small place to grow up. I struggle with anxiety, so school has never been my favorite place. I started to get nervous when talking to others around sixth grade and that made the social part of school very difficult for me. I was very lucky to have kind and understanding teachers and YELLOW SPR I NGS H I GH SCHOOL C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE YE L LOW SPR I NGS NEWS | MAY 19 , 2023 5 Emporium Wines and the Underdog Cafe Greene County Career Center Greene County Public Health Kettering Health O U R S P O N S O R S