Evans City students pay tribute to their role models
EVANS CITY — Thanksgiving is a chance for people to reflect on what they are thankful for, and 25 sixth graders at Evans City Middle School got the chance to do that in a public way.
Those students all invited one person to school Tuesday morning and then read aloud an essay on why that person is the most influential in their lives.
The list included mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and best friends. However, in two instances the honoree included a great-grandmother.
One of those great-grandmothers, 92-year-old Victoria Ripple, came from Westmoreland County to hear her great-granddaughter, Tori Fowler, read an essay on why Ripple is the most influential person in her life.
There were plenty of tears as mothers sat next to their daughters, fathers next to their sons and the elders listened to their children tell anecdotal stories about their lives together.
Each student spoke for only several minutes, but those minutes were packed with heartfelt words of wisdom and emotion.
There were stories like Tori's, who talked about how her great-grandmothers went to school in a one-room schoolhouse and how she had persevered through life's trials and tribulations.
“I wish I could be just like her,” Tori said as her great-grandmother looked on from the front of the classroom.
Teacher Jason Bell helped organize the event, which has been going on for at least 10 years.
The Thanksgiving holiday provides the perfect backdrop for the annual event, which Bell calls a “tribute ceremony,” even though it's important to be thankful year-round, he said.
“Everyone only gets one trip on this Earth and it's important to have a role model to help map out what is good and what is bad,” Bell said.
Each student also presented their “tribute recipient” with a handmade gift to illustrate their thanks.
Gabby Mariana presented her mother, Jennifer, with an apron after calling her “the best mom in the world.”
“One day when I look in the mirror I hope to see someone as great as her,” she said.
Cameron Pehlivanzade's mother, Melissa, grabbed a tissue before her daughter spoke, and she needed it.
The young sixth grader spoke about a “superhero named Mom,” somebody that is always there in times of need.
“She's exactly what I want to be when I grow up,” Cameron said.
Jeremy Gill told the assembled classroom packed with students and parents about his mother, Pam, someone who once bought groceries for people who couldn't afford them and how his mother used to hold him during thunderstorms.
Ben Hicks told the class about his father, Tim, and the time the two got on television during the Little League World Series.
Isabella Vescio spoke about her father who is “practically perfect in every possible way.”
Bell said he's already looking forward to planning the “tribute ceremony” next year, adding that it is always an emotional time for students and parents alike.
