TCT’s The Countless Thanks 2019: Ken George

To my second hour Honors English 10 Class:

Thanks to Sunny for your positivity, Jess W,  for your deep comments, Thomas for your consistency and daily greeting, Lexi for setting the standard for everyone else, Ella for always telling me to have a good day, Gabby for smiling and working so hard, Brenden for giving me your very best, Sam for rising up when you need to, Avery for writing and writing and writing for both of my classes, Remmie for your toughness and persistence, Maggie for your grit in the face of exhaustion, Tate for your honesty and depth of thought, Dom for your love of Pittsburgh sports and that last paper you wrote, KB for letting me call you KB, Russell for teaching me so much about so many things, Brooklyn for leading without knowing you’re leading, Jess D for deflecting attention when you have so much to be proud of, Gideon for staying after school with me because you want to learn, Kenz for saying “thank you” every single day, Sofia for growing as a writer and speaker, Roman for making my class important to you – which makes it important to everyone around you, Tyler for your quiet confidence, Kaeden for staying and showing your talent, Tananya for sharing your prodigious gifts as a writer, Sahil for doing everything the right way in life, Sam S. for your energy and passion, Elyse for being 100% present 100% of the time, and Stevie for the thought-provoking comments and for trying to help me find a Wrangler.

To my 3rd hour Honors English 10 Class:

Thanks to Sammie for your compassion and consideration for others, Ale for that powerful public speaking voice, Stella for your smile and laugh even after my bad jokes, Kate for making me laugh every single day, Lani for just “getting it,” Gabby for your self-reflection, Fabi for your thoughtfulness and warmth, Meggie for always smiling, Emmalyn for your daily deep thought, Sophie for letting us hear what you think, Gunnar for standing up and showing us your gifts as a public speaker, Arielle for fighting through with tenacity, Claudia for your optimistic persona, Paulina for your perceptive leadership, Alyssa for being such a talented listener, Jules-lia for writing a near-perfect essay, Coco for laughing at my dad jokes and bringing positivity to the classroom, Molly for matching your talent with your effort, Samantha for admitting that you watch birds, too, Nick for your consistency, Julianna for positively impacting my room every day with your peaceful demeanor, Katherine for your poise and selflessness, Beylul for your sense of humor, for Hezekiah for working through the struggles with passion and focus, Jack for your kindness and compassion, Nat for the daily energy and talent you share with all of us, Katelyn for sitting up front and giving me your all, Laurel for the playlists, Pierson for staying and rising up to the challenge, and Madison for refusing to stay in your comfort zone.

To my 4th hour Honors English 10 Class:

Thanks to Emma for being so teachable, Matt for only knowing one way – the right way, Joy for laughing again and again, Alex for giving everything you have, Claire for your kindness and smile, Sharanya for your unassuming confidence, Cully for your intelligent and thoughtful comments in class, Owen for sharing your story with us, Ella for coming every day ready to work, Kenz for stepping up as a gregarious and focused leader in class, Kali for being so kind and thoughtful and empathetic, Danny for always thinking and wondering and discussing, Bella for stepping up in so many ways, Rylie for being a courteous and curious listener, Sam for pushing your limits, Abby for your toughness and grit (and smile) in the face of difficult times, Sammy for buying in and sharing your dynamic talents, Jacob for being helpful in class and also helping me find the Goo Gone at True Value, Cole for sincerely thanking me every day after class, Maurielle for your focus and talent, Katie H. for adding depth, passion, and energy to class, Vinod for listening to my input, Brynn for dancing and laughing and smiling, Emma for staying and working, Meribell for your intelligence, creativity, and sense of humor, and Katie for consistently being friendly and positive.

To my 5th hour Honors English 10 Class:

Thanks to Morgan for your selfless charisma, Amy for your consistency and reliability, Ben T. for sitting next to me at the play, Ben P. for pushing for improvement, Holly for the daily pick-me-up, Caroline for your quiet intelligence and curiosity, Lily for being conscientious and sincere in your learning, Grace for your immense talent in music and athletics, Remmie for being a stud and for sitting down and sincerely asking how I’m doing, Abby B. for thinking and sharing and leading, Cooper for your infectious passion for everything (especially clowns), Jena for your willingness to talk about your ideas, Abbie for thinking and considering deeply, Olivia B. for your kind comments that change lives, Audrey for thanking me after class, Naomi for the passion you have for learning, Hannah for all the nice things you say, Abby D. for your curiosity and passion for knowledge, Thomas for proving every day that teenage boys can be kind, considerate, and selfless, Kelsey for stepping up and doing more, Olivia D. for sharing your writing talent, Abby D. for smiling and adding personality to every hour, Evan for wanting to do more, Ian for your honesty and determination, Israell for changing all of our lives for the better, Tommy for being ready for and invested in everything we do, Liza for standing up and presenting with poise, Erin for your level-headed intelligence and kindness, Daniel for the insightful comments in class, Brian for always asking about my weekend, and Marella for pushing yourself and adding ideas to every discussion.

To my Writing for Publication class (the 14 of you who don’t also have me for Honors English):

Thanks to Veronica for showing a passion for writing, Elise for deciding to stay and working to get better , Lexi for working so hard to make it all work, Grace for your toughness and smile and compassion, Savannah for consistently doing your best and that awesome laugh, Alex for bringing such personality to the room, Julia for caring so much about everyone and everything, Lauren for promising me that you’ll be back next semester, Allie for smiling through the tough times and loving my room so much,  Sarah for being involved in everything and doing it all so well, Hailee for striving for perfection, Payton for sharing your emotions through columns, Dylan for your empathy and kindness and talent in writing and photography, and Sophie for signing up for another class with me and always volunteering to help with anything.  

To The Central Trend Sports Report:

Thanks to Tommy for your school spirit and passion for being a Ranger, Matt for your servant leadership, Levi for diving in without much training, Fadi for your infectious smile and personality, Erv for your talent as a sports writer, Ally for your consistency and devotion to doing the right thing, Gwen for stepping up and showing everyone your talent, Zoe for your leadership, toughness, and charisma, Cam for joining the sports report and fitting right in, Jonah for taking a risk and writing reviews, and Eli for your gifts as a sports writer and for being so reliable.

To The Central Trend staff:

Thanks to Meredith for brightening all of our lives, Lydia for taking on a new role and excelling in it, Nat for your columns and reviews (and short stories, features, profiles – ok, everything), Morgan for always staying organized and committed to getting things done in your life, Olivia for all the nice things you always say, Dana for the personality you bring to the room, Linus for showing us that words can change lives, Jordan for your kindness in helping others, Emma for your consistency and work ethic (just like all cross country runners), Lynlee for how you use words to make everyone think, and Amanda for really caring how my day is going.

To my editors:

Thanks to Abby for stepping up and showing that you deserve everything that comes your way because you give so much to others, Ashlyn for leading with passion and charisma and organization for the 55 people who count on you every day, and Courtney for plowing through 15 stories a day with no complaining and for sharing your fears and passions with me.