Jason Hoskins' first clear memory of his friendship with John Howland was when they were both in the fourth grade in the Union Springs Central School District.
“He hurt his neck playing football and I carried his books for him at school,” Hoskins said.
Through the many years of friendship the two Aurelius men shared, Hoskins said they had always looked back to that time in the fourth grade.
In March of 2006, Howland was diagnosed with sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, a rare cancer of the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. Despite chemotherapy treatments, Howland passed away 10 months later.
Now Hoskins, 21, wants to make sure that the memory of his longtime friend is never forgotten.
He is establishing a scholarship that will be awarded to a Union Springs High School graduating senior in honor of Howland.
“It's an annual thing,” he said. “It's not a one time deal to honor John. It's something that will be there every year, every spring.”
“It will be a way of honoring him every year rather than doing something just once and not hearing about it for a while,” he added.
Hoskins got the idea of establishing a scholarship after attending the annual scholarship dinner at Union Springs High School in 2004, he said.
He saw the families of children whose lives were tragically cut short speak to students and award a scholarship in their memory.
“You could just tell how much it meant to give this scholarship in honor of their children,” he said. “When I was thinking about what to do to honor John I remembered the families that spoke. It was a very meaningful thing.”
And a scholarship would be the best way to honor Howland's memory, said Hoskins.
Howland was an athlete whose good-natured and respectful attitude won the hearts of his teachers and classmates, Hoskins said.
“He was very fit and muscular and was knocking heads around on the football field,” he said. “But when he was not playing football he was very soft spoken and wouldn't harm a fly. He was so nice to everyone he came in contact with.”
And for him, there is no better way to remember Howland's legacy than to award a scholarship year after year with the first being awarded in the spring.
Hoskins is currently looking for donations from community members and classmates to fund the scholarship. Criteria for the award has yet to be set, but he expects over the next few months to sit down with Howland's family and brother to determine what exactly they are looking for in a scholarship recipient.
But Hoskins knows that the recipient will embody John's characteristics.
An application will be generated and an essay will likely be required, he said. He hopes to have a committee of teachers and coaches narrow down the applicants with the final selection to be made by Howland's friends and family and possibly a teacher.
“Being awarded this is going to say a lot about them,” Hoskins said. “That they are going to be compared to John to receive this award is really going to mean a lot to his family and me and all his friends.The person selected based on the criteria and qualities John had will be someone that deserves it and should really feel honored to be thought of the way John was thought of.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239
Through the many years of friendship the two Aurelius men shared, Hoskins said they had always looked back to that time in the fourth grade.
In March of 2006, Howland was diagnosed with sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, a rare cancer of the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. Despite chemotherapy treatments, Howland passed away 10 months later.
Now Hoskins, 21, wants to make sure that the memory of his longtime friend is never forgotten.
He is establishing a scholarship that will be awarded to a Union Springs High School graduating senior in honor of Howland.
“It's an annual thing,” he said. “It's not a one time deal to honor John. It's something that will be there every year, every spring.”
“It will be a way of honoring him every year rather than doing something just once and not hearing about it for a while,” he added.
Hoskins got the idea of establishing a scholarship after attending the annual scholarship dinner at Union Springs High School in 2004, he said.
He saw the families of children whose lives were tragically cut short speak to students and award a scholarship in their memory.
“You could just tell how much it meant to give this scholarship in honor of their children,” he said. “When I was thinking about what to do to honor John I remembered the families that spoke. It was a very meaningful thing.”
And a scholarship would be the best way to honor Howland's memory, said Hoskins.
Howland was an athlete whose good-natured and respectful attitude won the hearts of his teachers and classmates, Hoskins said.
“He was very fit and muscular and was knocking heads around on the football field,” he said. “But when he was not playing football he was very soft spoken and wouldn't harm a fly. He was so nice to everyone he came in contact with.”
And for him, there is no better way to remember Howland's legacy than to award a scholarship year after year with the first being awarded in the spring.
Hoskins is currently looking for donations from community members and classmates to fund the scholarship. Criteria for the award has yet to be set, but he expects over the next few months to sit down with Howland's family and brother to determine what exactly they are looking for in a scholarship recipient.
But Hoskins knows that the recipient will embody John's characteristics.
An application will be generated and an essay will likely be required, he said. He hopes to have a committee of teachers and coaches narrow down the applicants with the final selection to be made by Howland's friends and family and possibly a teacher.
“Being awarded this is going to say a lot about them,” Hoskins said. “That they are going to be compared to John to receive this award is really going to mean a lot to his family and me and all his friends.The person selected based on the criteria and qualities John had will be someone that deserves it and should really feel honored to be thought of the way John was thought of.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239
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