By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - When Brandywine Middle School/High School Principal Chris Banaszak was asked to choose a seventh grade student she thought would be a good candidate for a Star Student honor, one student stood out as being a perfect choice.
Kyle Roush is the student Banaszak and the staff and administration have choosen to receive this honor.
When Kyle was told that he was chosen from all the seventh graders in the building to be named a Star Student, he was quite surprised.
Kyle returned to Brandywine Middle School after being home schooled for a year an a half, due to a bone infection and complications from his spina bifida, which hasn't allowed him to walk ever in his life.
Kyle added that he would like to thank the community for their support while he was in the hospital. The benefits that were held to raise funds for the family really helped out in a big way.
This year Kyle was the manager for the wrestling team. "I had a really good time, doing things for the guys on the team, and learning about the sport of wrestling. It was a really good experience," Kyle said.
In school Kyle's favorite class is language arts. "Mr. Shaw is a great teacher, he gives us some freedom, but at the same time it's structured," Kyle said. "He also gives us a lot of positive reinforcement."
Outside of school Kyle likes to do what any other 13-year-old boy likes to do.
Kyle said, "At the beginning of the year I was having some trouble adjusting to being back here at school, and I almost thought about going back to home schooling, but I told myself that I couldn't do that, I had to hang in there and things would get better."
Kyle added that he is really glad to be back with all his friends and being with everyone who is so supportive is great. "You can't let bad things in life get you down, you have to keep going and they will get better," Kyle said.
Kyle is already thinking about what he wants to do after he graduates from high school, even though he is just in the seventh grade.
Jeff Willis, one of Kyle's teachers said, "Kyle has a fantastic attitude about life, and just goes with the flow of things. He takes on anything presented to him and does the best of his ability to accomplish the task."
Willis added that Kyle always has a smile on his face, he has a great sense of humor and he is always looking to the future.
Banaszak added that Kyle is one of those people who you can see on a bad day and he just seems to make things all better.
Kyle said, "What I really would like for people to know about me is that I have been in a wheelchair since day one. I wouldn't change that for the world. If someone came up to me and asked me if I wished I could walk, I would surely tell them no."
Kyle is the son of Tina and Bryn Roush. His sister Kendra is an eighth grader at Brandywine Middle School.