Students seek to rename middle school

They want to honor fallen Green Beret

A group of students this week proposed to rename the Seneca Valley Middle School after fallen Green Beret and former student Ryan Gloyer at the district’s board meeting.

The honor is not because he died in battle, but rather the way he lived before that.

Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Gloyer danced to his own beat as an honors student who excelled in soccer, track and musicals. He was a soldier who took the heaviness out of the travel to missions by cranking Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears moments before being greeted by machine gun fire. He was an elite soldier who loved the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings books.

“It became apparent he was more than a war hero. He was someone we could look up to and relate to,” said Nate Konieczka, a Slippery Rock University freshman who was inspired after hearing of Sgt. Gloyer’s death in 2016 along with current Seneca Valley seniors Ryan Burglund, Jessica Pollaci and Jenna Pollaci.

The students believe that naming the middle school after a local hero like Sgt. Gloyer would help instill the values of the district and inspire students at a time in their life when they need it most.

“Middle school is where kids begin to find themselves,” said Jenna Pollaci. “Students need encouragement to keep pushing, keep fighting towards their goals.”

Sgt. Gloyer kept thriving after graduating from high school in 2000. After earning a degree in psychology and early education from Thiel College, he joined the Army in 2004 and eventually became a member of the elite Green Berets in 2014.

He was killed during an Operation Freedom Sentinel battle in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on Nov. 3, 2016. According to a U.S. Army statement, Sgt. Gloyer and another member of his unit, Capt. Andrew Byers, were killed and four other