2023_YSHS_Senior_Special_Edition

an amazing group of friends who helped me get through school. I’d like to say “thank you” to all of my teachers throughout the years. I’d like to give a huge shout-out to Mr. Gudgel for being there and helping me through my whole time at Mills Lawn. In second grade I used to go see him a lot because of how anxious school made me. One of those times at the beginning of the year, he gave me a little red dog plushie. I carried that dog plushie with me around the school everywhere I went that year; it’s now chill- ing on my shelf with me still :). He helped me through so many things from second to sixth grade, and I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked him for that. Thank you, Mr. Gudgel! I’m also so thankful for having such an amazing group of friends; they have made my life 10x better. They do their best to push me out of my comfort zone while still respecting my boundaries. I’m going to miss them all so much, but I’m so excited to hear about where life takes them next! I’m majoring in animation at Laguna Col- lege of Art and Design after high school. This means I’m moving to California by myself in August. It’s definitely going to be a big change from this little town. I’m excited and terrified about college at the same time, but I think I’m going to enjoy this next chapter in my life. JOSLYN HERRING PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Laytoya Herring As someone who was the youngest in the 2024 graduation class and the 2023 class, I feel like I have worked exception- ally hard for the honor of graduating at 16 with honors. I truly thank the staff from the bottom of my heart who always sup- ported me. Without them I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to succeed the way I did. Most importantly of all, I want to thank my mom. Throughout my life she has been my rock. As we’ve grown up together, our relationship has started to blossom into equals and she is my best friend. Without her I would not be here and I made sure to take the chance to graduate early because it was something so many other people like me never got the chance to do. She is my confidante, my other half, my inspi- ration and my mom. As a child she was always Ms. Make-It-Happen, and I couldn’t have had a better mother than the one I have now. I can’t wait to see what New Orleans has in store for me and I can’t wait to be Ms. Make-It-Happen for my children one day. I thank God everyday for letting me live my life and be the best me I can be. MACKENZIE HORTON PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Heather and Jeremy Horton Well … it seems I’m finally going to graduate. These past few years at Yellow Springs High School have been relatively decent, and I’m honestly glad my high school experience is coming to an end. Next up on the list is college! As I prepare to move on to this next chapter of my life, I’ve been reflecting on my high school experience and decided I have some things I’d like to say. Overall, the community here is so tight- knit. From the sports teams and clubs to the school events and dances, there’s always something going on to keep me busy and engaged. I personally partici- pated in the girls varsity soccer team, JV cheer squad and SPIDEE, as well as a few other clubs and activities. I’d like to thank all of my teammates, coaches and friends for making high school less insufferable. One of the things that has made my high school experience nice was the teachers I’ve had. They have been so dedicated, passionate, and supportive, and they have helped me grow so much both academi- cally and personally. I would like to give a shout-out to Mrs. Eguaroje and Mr. Comstock for always being there to listen and offer guidance, and to Mr. Day for sparking my interest in psychology, which is now my intended major. Of course, I couldn’t have made it through high school without my incredible friends. We’ve shared so many wonderful moments together, from soccer games to late night calls. My group of friends — Payton, Nevaeh and Gema — has always known how to make me laugh and lift me up during tough times. As I prepare to say goodbye to YSHS and move on to the next chapter of my life, I’m feeling a mix of emotions. I’m excited to see what the future holds and to take the skills and knowledge I’ve gained here with me, but I’m also sad to be leaving behind such wonderful friends and people. Thank you all so much! I give the best regards to those who read this! Yours truly, Mackenzie Horton. AHSHA JACKSON I first entered Yellow Springs as a fresh- man, and it was a new experience — a bit different, but a fresh start. I remember vividly how I was welcomed when I first walked in the doors. That’s when I realized I made a great choice, and this was a place where I wanted to stay. Driving 20 minutes every morning and afternoon was worth it. My junior and senior years are the ones I treasure the most. I’ve met great people who I want to keep in my life during those years. Speaking of those great people, I want to start with the teachers. Thank you to Ms. Lohmeyer for being a mentor to me. She always had the most optimistic outlook that I admired. Thank you to Mr. Gudgel for being a great coach during my time in track; it was fun hearing him joke around with everyone and making sure everyone is doing their best. Thank you to Mrs. Eguaroje for always treating me kindly and supporting me. I remember all those times when our hearts would sink every time she’d say something serious then you would see her wink and smirk. It was such a relief to see, because she was kidding! And thank you to Mr. Comstock for always looking out for every student — you rock! Now to the other great people I have met because of this school. Kyle, for being everything I wanted and more, along with his kind parents. Dezmond, for being a super great friend I can rely on. Lloyd and L’nissa, for always treating me like family and for their kindness. Llnyah, Grant, and Latney for being goofy kids that always make me smile. Etta for helping me make it through the school day in study hall, and for my usual AP Bio group, Katie, Evan and Collin. Most importantly, thank you to my won- derful family for supporting me through thick and thin. I couldn’t have done it with- out you guys. I decided that, for my career path of choice, I want to become a nurse since I desire to help others and give them a satis- fying quality of life and to be a proper advo- cate for people for their well-being when it is difficult to do it themselves. Hopefully, I will then become a pediatric nurse to give a kind and caring experience for children or further my education to become a nurse practitioner. I can’t wait to start this next chapter of my life — it’ll be great. PHILLIP KINTNER PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Judy Kintner I want to say thank you to Mr. Gudgel for helping me throughout school, from Mills Lawn to the high school. I also want to say thank you to Coach Cam, for seeing my abilities and coaching me in basketball. ETHAN KNEMEYER PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Stacey and Michael Knemeyer My time at Yellow Springs High School has been a blessing. What I like the most about our learning environment has been the opportunity to collaborate with my classmates on projects. My teachers have been supportive and have done everything they can to help me succeed. Their sup- port has helped me achieve more than I ever dreamed I could. I would not be where I am today without the help of some pretty important people. I’d like to thank my parents for always being there for me, supporting and inspir- ing me to do the best I can. Thanks to my brothers for keeping me in check, and for being understanding and entertaining, too! Special thanks to my grandma, Melva. She is the one person I look up to the most. My grandpa taught me to never give up, no matter how difficult things can be in 6 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 Lamm’s Insurance Agency, Jerome Borchers MVECA Nipper’s Corner Re/Max Victory + Affiliates, O U R S P O N S O R S