I have worked at Curl Market for three semesters now. I have worked my way up to be a student manager, which is the highest position as a student employee of Dining Services. While working there, I have gained lifelong friends and unbreakable bonds. One, in particular, is Chef Andy Fetsko. Andy was one of the most incredible people that I have ever gotten the pleasure of knowing. It doesn’t matter what time of day I was coming in, whether it was 7AM or 3PM, he was always the first to greet me with that smile of his and yell sarcastically, “Where have you been?!”

I’ll never forget his laugh when I would say something sarcastic about another employee because I knew, without a doubt, he felt the exact same way. We connected on a level like that… I lost both of my grandpas as a child, so growing up, I didn’t have anyone to fill that position. Andy quickly became someone that I looked to as one of my grandpas.

Andy genuinely cared about my well-being–he was always asking how my day was going, how I was doing in school, and of course, if I was going to the football game that weekend. Andy was a HUGE sports fan. He absolutely LOVED the Pittsburgh Steelers. Anyone that knew Andy was aware of his obsession. That is why when hepassed away on November 12, I knew I wanted to get something that kept him and his favorite team close to my heart.

In December of 2014, I was diagnosed with advanced pyelonephritis– a kidney infection. I started out in a King’s Daughters’s ER in Portsmouth, OH. Once they discovered I had a kidney infection, they ran an IV in my arm and transferred to Kings Daughters in Ashland, KY. Two days in at Kings Daughters, I became septic, and eventually went into septic shock. My mom realized the doctors were completely neglecting me and not providing the correct treatment. I attempted to go to the bathroom and passed out. When I woke up, I couldn’t see anything for about 2 minutes. This may have been the scariest moment of my life. I laid in my mom’s arms, with my sight completely black, and asked “Mom, am I going to die?”

At this point, my mom demanded for a doctor to come in and help me. We finally got a doctor to come to my room, where she basically told us to get transferred to another hospital because she knew how bad I was getting. Children’s Hospital of Columbus accepted me with open arms. As soon as I got there, I immediately felt relieved because they began treatment right away.

I was missing work, school, social events, etc. back home, so I was constantly getting phone calls, text messages, and gifts delivered to the room. My aunt happened to send me a gift card to the small shop in the hospital. The next day, I was well enough to be pushed in a wheelchair downstairs. I got a few things, but one thing sticks out to me to this day: my heart-shaped Ohio State key chain.

Every day that I was in there, Ohio State University interns came in with the doctor and talked to me about my diagnosis. I remember thinking to myself, “I want to be an intern here.” I’ve always known I wanted to go into the medical field, but this made my decision of where pretty clear.

When it came that time, I applied to the Ohio State University and was eventually accepted. It was a dream come true. I brought that key chain with me to college, and have it hanging on my lanyard because it was the start of when I knew I wanted to be a student at Ohio State.

One of the most important artifacts in my life is my black wristband that simply says “EP7” in orange lettering.

You will never catch me without it on, unless I have to be.

On January 22, 2016, I lost a close friend and a classmate, Ethan Pauley.

Ethan Pauley was involved in a hit and run accident. On January 22, 2016, we had a bad snow storm. Ethan wanted to go sledding with some of his other friends on the roads because people weren’t supposed to be out driving due to the storm. Two guys were on the four wheeler, pulling the sled the Ethan was on. Out of nowhere, a red truck ran a red light on the corner of Center and Gallia and ended Ethan’s life in an instant. The truck stopped for just a moment, and then sped off like nothing ever happened.

Ethan Pauley was a senior at my high school (colors were orange and black) and played on the soccer team, where he wore the number 7; hence the description of the wristband. Although he only played soccer, there wasn’t a sporting event that you wouldn’t find him, wearing orange and black, cheering on his school. He was always the most spirited one out there, and would encourage everyone to attend different sporting events to be involved in the cheer blocks. There was hardly a day when you wouldn’t catch him wearing a pirate shirt.

I can’t help but think about every day when he would walk into first period government and crack a joke to me. Every game day, he asked if I was going, and if I would say yes, he would tell me to bring everyone I know to cheer the pirate soccer team on.

Ethan was known for his humor, his mischievous grin, and his unbelievable soccer skills. I have no doubt he would’ve been offered a full ride scholarship to a college for his soccer abilities.

After E’s death, I’ve come to realize that life is too short to not make the most of it. Although I am attending college, while E never got the chance to, I know that he would want me to live every moment of my college life to the fullest. I purchased Block O tickets because at every game, I am reminded of how cheerful and loud he got for the team he loved. Because I lost Ethan, I learned that you shouldn’t take advantage of the people you love– some things just aren’t worth losing a friendship over. Me and Ethan had countless arguments, but if I had the chance to take every single one back and just keep the moments where he had me laughing until I cried, or even rolling my eyes because he was jokingly teasing me about something, I would.

There isn’t a day that goes by that Ethan isn’t on my mind– don’t take life, or people for that matter, for granted.