Taking all the worries in life you have and using them to uplift your way of life to become a warrior is the least you can do at some points in life.

Trying to become a role model for everyone around you isn’t all that easy. There are many different ways you can inspire and uplift others whether it’s on the field of the sport you love or people around you in the community.

Drake Hollins and Nathan Osentoski both had a big change in their lives but they didn’t let that stop them from what they wanted to do with their lives.

No matter what happened, both these amazing students kept being a leader and inspiring others around them despite it being a hard time.

Drake Hollins

Drake Hollins originally lived in Bradenton, Florida but eventually his family moved here to Michigan in 2019. When they made this big move, Hollins was in the 8th grade which put him at Armstrong Middle School.

In Florida they took different classes than we do here at Kearsley at different times, so he had to do an online class and still is three years later in high school.

Despite this big change in his life, Hollins didn’t let it get to him once. He tried his best to make as many friends as he could and everyone was very welcoming because of how nice he is and for who he was overall as a person.

Hollins explains how it felt transferring into the Kearsley District all the way from Florida.

“It was all overwhelming. Going to a new school and almost the first thing that needed to happen was trying to figure out which classes were available that I needed to take. It took me a while to adjust but I just used my anxiety to motivate me all through it,” vocalized Hollins.

At the point where he felt comfortable here in the district, Covid-19 hit.

This was a tough time for everyone because you wouldn’t want to be alone during this time, you would want to keep in touch with all your friends, however no one knew what was coming next. The future was all blind.

From going to see all your friends in school everyday to only being able to communicate over the phone was a struggle for everyone. Especially if you transferred to a new school from a different state not long before this unfortunate pandemic occured.

Hollins was overwhelmed when everyone got an early Spring Break because he thought all of his friends would just stop all communication with him.

“It was unfortunate that Covid-19 happened, especially in my situation. It was also a challenging time because all my friendships were put off, but the internet helped my friends and I stay in contact with also the fact I had great friends,” states Hollins.

All of this leads to where Hollins is now.

He is the treasurer for his graduating class, and for Student Council which makes him the head of the fundraising committee in Student Council.

Student Council runs different fundraisers to help the Kearsley Community which Hollins is a part of. This is his way of being a leader and benefiting others at the same time.

Hollins enjoys doing things for the community and he states why.

“It makes me feel good and I feel it’s necessary because I have things others don’t. It is a good feeling when I can do something for someone else in the community, or just in general,” spoke Hollins.

Hollins once was a person who didn’t have much in this community, all he had was family. He had no friends and didn’t know his way around. It was all so new to him.

He wants to be there for others like people were there for him so that is why he loves working with the community to help out for those who need it.

From all of this, Hollins is trying to be a leader, and a role model for the underclassmen. He is trying, and likes to bring together and form a better community before he leaves to go off and start a new chapter in his life.

Hollins would like to be a chemical engineer when he is older and would like to attend any college he can get into out of state. Being a chemical engineer requires some skills that Hollins is already working on with bettering the community for his own sake.

Nathan Osentoski

Nathan Osentoski has had some ups and downs during his high school life but he always put on that smile for everyone no matter how much he was feeling on the inside.

During Osentoski’s junior year of high school, his father passed away. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to go through but he still kept going because he knew that’s what his father would have wanted.

Even through this life change, he always kept a positive vibe and had hope.

Osentoski explains how he felt during this tough passing of his loved one.

“At first I didn’t really know what to think, my mind was telling me it was all a dream. As a kid you never expect to lose someone so close. Not only did I lose my father, but also my best friend was super hard for me. Everyday felt like an hour glass and I was the only person watching it, but I realized eventually that I needed to keep moving forward. One thing my father and I shared was talking about religion and it really helped me get through it. If I were to thank anybody for getting me through this it would be Jesus Christ. All praise goes to God though for taking me through those times where I wanted to quit but I didn’t. The gym also helped me a lot by calming my stress levels however this doesn’t change my heart that I still care and keep on going,” expresses Osentoski.

Osentoski was on the Varsity Football team and was always a leader, and it wasn’t just for himself, it was for his father and amazing teammates. He was the one who kept the energy up on the field when it wasn’t at its peak, even when it was a tough game for not just him, but his entire team.

Osentoski explains how being a leader on the football field felt and what it meant to him as a person.

“When it came to the football field it was tough. I would go to practice and be a leader which takes a lot of sacrifice. Some days were tougher, but there were memories I will never forget and I will miss playing under the lights on Friday nights. Football gave me an outlet when everything was happening with my dad, it let me get out and do something even if it sucked. I was always grateful that my teammates accepted me as a hype man and a leader on the team. They have no idea how much I love them and how proud I am of what we have accomplished together as a team. Being a leader on the football team was more than me, it was the team, the school, and the city,” vocalized Osentoski.

Going to the Army is something Osentoski is set on for his career which is going to take some of the skills he has and is always working on. Making this commitment is not easy but he believes he can do it and knows it will just make him better overall as a person.

Osentoski makes a quick statement on his next chapter in life.

“With all that has happened, I am just grateful for the time I played football and I’m looking forward to my next adventure in life in the United States Army,” states Osentoski.

Being a leader during basic training and just being in the Military in general is important. It will not be an easy task and being able to rely on others to uplift you is important and that is what Osentoski is wanting to do.

All Osentoski is doing is setting himself up for success while being away from all his friends and family.

Both of these amazing individuals tried their best to become a better version of themselves during harder points in life which makes them inspiring to others around them.