THE RETURN OF THE EYE

  By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff

March 27, 2024

Chosen for this week’s second senior spotlight is Damien Tumolo. Damien is outgoing, fearless, and funny. Some of Damien’s hobbies include playing video games, hanging out with friends, fishing, and hiking. 

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: “My plan after high school is to get a full-time job working HVAC and then eventually getting a heavy machinery operator’s license.”

Q: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self entering high school for the first time?

A: “My advice to my younger self would be to try harder to be a better person.”

Q: What is the funniest memory that you have had during your entire school career?

A: “The funniest memory I can remember is in sixth grade when my friend Logan kicked my other friend Diego when he was hiding in a cardboard box.”

Q: What was your go-to lunch in school?

A: “Bosco cheese sticks and chocolate milk.”

Q: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what five items would you need to survive?

A: “First, I would pick a fire sparker so I could light a fire. Next, I would have an ax so I could chop up trees and build a house. Then, I would want a water filter so I could just grab water and wait for it to be purified. Lastly, I would want a fishing rod so I could fish to catch food and also a knife to catch more food.”

Q: Are you more of a morning or night person? 

A: “I’m more of a morning person so I can see more of the day.”

Q: What is the most valuable life lesson that you have learned so far?

A: “To always treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Q: How do you decide what is worth stressing over and what is not?

A: “I decide when it can have a way of blocking something in my future.”

Q: What is one thing that you wish you could have accomplished during your high school career?

A: “I would have to say becoming a state wrestler.”

Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been the biggest inspiration and/or influence to you? 

A: “I would say Mr. Holko because not only is he a good teacher, he actually cares about the students and helps them. He is very honest with life and that’s something I’ve always appreciated from him.”

Thank you for your time, Damien. Enjoy the rest of your senior year, and go be successful in the HVAC industry.

By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff

March 27, 2024

Chosen for this week’s first senior spotlight is Kayla Martin. Kayla is outgoing, honest, and intelligent. Throughout her four years of high school, she has kept herself busy with playing volleyball and being a member of the Student Council. Along with this, she also attends the Polaris Career Center for Pre-Nursing.

Q: What is the toughest challenge that you have had to overcome?

A: “Having to do online school because of Covid.”  

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: “After graduating, I plan on attending The University of Toledo to major in Nursing and to receive my BSN to work in the ICU.”

Q: What is your go-to song to play in the car?

A: “My go-to song would be any SZA or Drake song because they are both artists with music that gives off such good vibes.”

Q: What is the most important quality in a friendship?

A: “I would say the most important quality in a friendship would be honesty because when people are honest, they prove themselves reliable, fostering deeper connections and trust. This trust is essential for the foundation of any lasting relationship.”

Q: What dreams do you have for tomorrow’s world?

A: “In the world of tomorrow, I hope people become more accepting of who they are and that it’s okay to not fit in and to make mistakes.” 

Q: Where is your go-to vacation spot?

A: “My go-to vacation spot is Jamaica because that is where I have the best family memories.”

Q: What is the biggest lesson that high school has taught you?

A: “The biggest lesson that I learned is that in order to grow, change must happen, even if the timing wasn’t perfect or if it wasn’t ideal.” 

Q: What advice would you give someone who is unsure about their post-graduation plans?

A: “Advice I would give someone who’s unsure about their post-graduation plans is that it’s okay to not know what you’re doing as long as you try different things to figure out what you enjoy and to not settle for just anything.”

Q: What class did you find the most enjoyable?

A: “The class that was most enjoyable to me was my AP Government class. This class was most enjoyable to me because it felt like it wasn’t just a class. It was information that I’d already known but had the opportunity to get more in-depth with it.”

Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been the biggest inspiration and/or influence to you? 

A: “My biggest influence would easily be Mr. Meehan. He helped me make important decisions on my future plans for school. Also, he was always there to help, and he made the class not feel like your typical class. Even when class got hard, he was always there after school or even before school to help or just give you a better explanation.”

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, Kayla. We wish you the best of luck in your nursing journey at Toledo and beyond.

By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff

March 20, 2024

Chosen for this week’s second senior spotlight is Aidan Westerhold. Aidan is calm, observant, and understanding. Aidan loves talking to his closest friends. He has also been playing baseball ever since his freshman year and really enjoys playing.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: “I plan to join the Navy once I graduate. I am interested in going into the Navy for a trade school certification and college credits.”

Q: How has your circle of friends impacted your identity?

A: “My friends definitely impacted my identity a lot. Some of them are very judgmental and some of them are very accepting, so sometimes, I conceal things that I think people will judge me over.”

Q: Have you discovered any new passions during high school?

A: “I discovered my passion for baseball in my freshman year and have played it all four years. Playing baseball keeps me on top of my grades.” 

Q: How do you manage your time with school and sports?

A: “Well, I usually go home for maybe 30 minutes before I go to baseball practice. Time management puts my education and sports before anything else. When I’m free, I like to hang out with friends and my girlfriend most of the time.”

Q: What impact did the global COVID-19 pandemic have on your high school experience?

A: “COVID affected me negatively because I am better at working in person and physically, rather than digitally.”

Q: What is something that you wish people knew about you?

A: “Something I wish people knew about me is that I have a side interest in learning about perspective and how other people think.”

Q: How do you learn to cope with change, and what advice would you give others about it?

A: “I still struggle to cope with change quite a bit, but I always have someone reminding me that the uncomfort of the situation will pass and things will get better. Even if I think it’ll last forever, it does change, especially when I least expect it.”

Q: What has been the most important aspect of your senior year, thus far?

A: “The most important part of my senior year is being able to manage my grades and to play my last season of high school baseball.”

Q: Describe senioritis.

A: “For me, senioritis is not wanting to be at school as much as I did at the start of the year. I used to stay at school all day, but I leave early pretty often, and then, I dread the days when I have to stay until 3:00.”

Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been the biggest inspiration and/or influence to you? 

A: “I would say Mrs. Campbell has had the biggest influence on me with all of the college and career fairs and field trips that she set up for her BCCA class. They all definitely helped me figure out my choice of going to the Navy. Mainly, it is because she led me to the connections with the recruiters and helped me look deeper into that field of work.”

Aidan, we hope that you have a great baseball season. No regrets!

 By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff

March 20, 2024

Chosen for this week’s first senior spotlight is Amerie Williams. Amerie is bright, successful, and courteous. This is Amerie’s second year at Brooklyn. In her free time, she loves to play basketball. Not only does she play basketball, she coaches fifth and sixth grade girls basketball, as well.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: “I plan on attending Ohio State University and working towards my Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy.”

Q: In three words, how would you describe your overall high school experience?

A: “Impactful, Demanding, and Fun.”

Q: Who were your closest friends in high school, and how did they impact your life?

A: “Leanna Weimer, Alice Pham, Olivia Callahan, and Jayla Gilbert are some of my friends who changed my whole high school experience. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me what it’s like to have true friends who care about each other. I love you, girls!”

Q: How do you manage your time with school, sports, and life outside of school?

A: “I usually try to get my school work done before I leave school, so I have time outside of school for basketball and other hobbies. It’s important to have that balance between school, sports, and life.”

Q: What impact did the global COVID-19 pandemic have on your high school experience?

A: “Leaving eighth grade was rough because I didn’t have a thorough transition. I also didn’t have a traditional eighth grade graduation and was kind of just thrown into high school after that. As a freshman in high school, I didn’t have the usual freshman welcome, and I also didn’t have a homecoming freshman year. I ended up online for most of that year.”

Q: How have you learned to advocate for yourself and others?

A: “I have definitely found my voice coming to Brooklyn more than any other high school I’ve been to. I think it just comes with maturity and knowing when to speak up for yourself and others.”

Q: Looking back, what do you wish you knew at the start of high school?

A: “I wish I knew how to balance my in-school and out-of-school life. I was constantly doing work and studying when I first got into high school, but I’ve learned that relaxing is just as important as getting work done.”

Q: What advice would you give someone who is unsure about their post-graduation plans?

A: “There’s no rush in figuring out what you want to do. Find something that interests you, and if you believe you can pursue that interest, then pursue it with confidence.”

Q: Describe senioritis.

A: “Senioritis is the feeling of freedom for the first time; you know you’re almost out of here, so you feel relieved and like you don’t have anything to worry about, even if you have school in 10 minutes and you’re still in bed.”

Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been the biggest inspiration and/or influence to you? 

A: “This is only my second year at Brooklyn, so I don’t know many, but I’d say Mrs. Chrzan has been my biggest cheerleader this year, and I am so thankful for her. She has managed to turn my worst subject into my best and favorite, and even with all the problems that went on throughout this year with me being the only student in her AP Biology class, she still manages to teach me in a class full of other students. I could not imagine my time in Brooklyn without her.”

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, Amerie. We wish you the best with your future plans in Physical Therapy. We are glad that you came to Brooklyn and will soon graduate as a Hurricane.