2023_YSHS_Senior_Special_Edition

8 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 Sam & Eddie’s Open Books TCN Behavioral Health Services Tetz, James A., D.M.D., Inc. few unlikely friends. I had fun doing a play that meant something to people. It was a powerful play — not just because I was yelling for most of my part, but because it exposes casual racism and ignorance, and it exposed the inner workings of what it means to be a person of color in America. I appreciate being able to play a person of color and I realized how my own heritage had an impact on me. It felt like an honor because it made me feel like my opinions on the matter were valid even though I’m biracial and white-passing. After graduation, my family is going to move back to Florida and I’m kind of look- ing forward to that! I grew up in Florida for 13 years and we have been back and forth several times. I want to try to work in cos- metology, specifically makeup. My plan of action isn’t super clear, but I want to try to get a job at a makeup counter. Overall, my Yellow Springs experience was a happy, memorable one and I hope to come back and visit in the future. DYLON MAPES PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Kristl and Micah Mapes My plan after graduation will be to attend Bowling Green University, majoring in marketing. I have been going to Yellow Springs schools my whole life. LIAM McCLEAN PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Stephanie and Jason McClean My time at YS schools was a great expe- rience. Over these many years I learned a lot and met great people, including staff and friends. The YS community was a great one to grow up in, and one I want to stay in. I couldn’t imagine how my life would be without this place and the people in it. Moving on to college at UC is going to be hard, but I will make sure I don’t lose the relationships and the memories that I gained here. Go Bulldogs! Go Bearcats! and Go Browns!!! Here I am at... HUNTER McIVER “Watch Yer’ Top Knot!” — Bear Claw SVEN MEISTER PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Zoe and Dave Meister Golly gee, how time flies, no matter if you are having fun or not. I attended Yellow Springs schools since kindergarten and have enjoyed the time with friends all the way through. Because YS Schools have remained small, you get into very tight-knit friend groups that remain with you. Though I have been at Yellow Springs for all my elementary through high school career, it truly flew by. I am currently in the Delayed Entry Program with the U.S. Navy and will be joining as a hospital corpsman. I will be heading up north to the Recruit Training Command for boot camp in June; after graduation, I will fly out west to Texas for corpsman school. I have never much enjoyed talking about myself, be it for English essays or what you are reading right now. I won’t be drag- ging on much longer after that information bomb I just dropped. As I said, I went to elementary at YS, I had John Gudgel as a counselor. Many Fridays, John would meet with us kids in the computer lab and speak about life skills and such. I have had him as my track coach since seventh grade when I joined track. He, as well as many others in my life, have had a great deal in building the person I am today. My family, though, has had a greater role in shaping me. I love them all, and will be missing them while I am gone. I will be ending with this; I had the opportunity to meet interesting people and make great friends. IZZY MILLAR KRISHAN MILLER PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Jyoti and David Miller My favorite memory from high school would have to be our tournament run in soccer this year. Even though we had a heartbreaking loss in the state semifinals, we had so much success, not just this year, but last year as well. Between this year and the last, we lost a total of three games. One last year and two this year. I think the best game I played in the tournament was the regional finals game against Troy Chris- tian. We won 3–0 and I saved a penalty kick late in the first half. It was a really bad day to play because of the 40 mph winds, but we fought through it. I got to do an interview with the Xenia Gazette after the game, which was really cool. Overall, we’ve had so many accomplish- ments these last couple seasons. We won a conference title, a district title and a regional title. To add to the hardware, last season we won a preseason tournament at Alter High School with no goals allowed. I’m so grateful for the fun times I’ve had in sports during high school and wish the best for the next generation of Bulldog athletes. ELIZA MINDE-BERMAN PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Jennifer Berman, Matt Minde Having experienced formal schooling only in the Yellow Springs school district, I thought it was normal having a class of 60: Such a small circle of kids growing up with each other, from preschool to senior year, which seemed to make it difficult to “branch out” and find new friends. However, there was a comfort in know- ing each of my classmates, hearing their stories, getting to know their families; it also meant they had come to know me and my family as well. This also meant that I knew my teachers and school staff members better than kids from other schools, which proved to be both a blessing and a curse. When I would misbehave or miss an assignment, the fac- ulty were able to quickly communicate that to my parents. I came to realize that, while my instructors had students’ best interests in mind, I found it unhelpful when faculty would seemingly meddle in or gossip about students’ lives more than necessary. That seemed to be an ongoing problem during most of my time in high school, and ultimately affected which classes I would enroll in, as well as my general attitude towards school. I feel some of the faculty should aspire to be more professional, rise above the grade-school antics and culture, and realize that grades should not be determined by a teacher’s personal feelings or biases. Still, I am grateful for the education I received here in Yellow Springs. Like many, math was my most difficult subject for many years and I was not overly enthusiastic about going to classes or talking with the teachers. Ms. Dee Ann Holly completely changed that for me. She taught me that math doesn’t have to be terrifying and that if I just accepted her support and listened in class, that I could succeed the way both she and I knew I could. She put up with my sassy jokes and constant questions because she knew that’s how I’d learn: by being interactive with her and the class. Mr. John Day allowed me to explore my interests in psychology and supported all the grand ideas I threw out during class. It was because of his class that I was motivated to become more of an active participant in my schooling and to observe the world around me. I will be forever O U R S P O N S O R S