I didn't really know him very well. Our AP Bio class only has 12 people in it, though, so I did know him even if only as an acquaintance.
He moved here this past summer, from a nearby school district but he was born in South Carolina.
I was the first person to say hey, and find out his name, the first person to reach out and be his friend instead of treating him as the "new kid" (i know what it's like to move and know no one)... at least in our class. He was so courteous and nice--from the very beginning, I noticed that he was a gentleman and so tranquil, calm and gentle in his manners. There are so many little things about him that you wouldn't expect people to remember... but lately, they keep surfacing.

On Tuesday night he was driving back from Ames, from his girlfriend's volleyball game, and was hit by a drunk driver (37) who was on the wrong side of the interstate--he swerved back and forth between the median before hitting his car head-on. His car was spun around and then hit by a 70 year old couple from the back. He was prounounced dead at the scene. He was a senior.

He was taking four college level classes, and working 30 hour weeks at Toys R Us, to support his family. His dad, a pastor, had recently been let go. He had twin brothers in ninth grade, a younger sister in junior high, and a brother in fourth grade.
Not many people knew him because he was new, but the people who did were truly affected by his kind, considerate, and huge heart.

I never knew him well, barely as an acquaintance. He went out of his way to say hello to me in the hallway, and always had a smile on his face--even with the pain of a broken ankle (and crutches).

I'm sorry, Jon. You were loved. I hope you're at peace.


Anonymous
07:59:52 PM