Many people from all over Northeast Ohio choose to roll out of bed and drive a painful 20+ minutes to Hoban every single morning, but why? Hoban boasts about a family atmosphere and a deeply rooted community, but it goes farther than that. From teachers who are invested in afterschool sports and our wellbeing, to peers and classmates who take the time to include everyone, Hoban is like no other. 

There is something special and undeniable about being a student at the castle. As freshman we got dropped off for the first time at the dome and were greeted by Mr Lucey welcoming us to our newest chapter.

When you ask students why they love this school, at first you’re met with groans and mumblings about how school is awful, and tiring, and how it is the last thing they want to do. If you dig a little deeper, you learn how much this school means to its students. 

“Hoban has definitely helped me grow as a person, and develop who I am. It’s a home away from home,” senior Mary Dolensky said.

I, however, couldn’t recognize this for what it was. It felt overbearing, and suffocating. It was all so fake to me as someone who had never had a positive school experience before. Ultimately, I left and it was a colossal mistake. Going to public school and finding teachers who didn’t care about my grades, or why I wasn’t doing well in their classes was so upsetting and something I had never encountered before. It was the difference between a 3.5 GPA, to a 3.0 GPA and spiraling.

Coming back, and realizing my initial mistake was such a relief. Teachers like Mr. Yanko and TK were why I was able to thrive upon my return. They expected me to do my work, and so I did it. Whenever I was struggling in classes I was never afraid of the retribution of emailing them and asking for help. Knowing that they cared about my performance and wanted me to succeed to the highest level possible was all the motivation I needed. 

“I’ve only had Mr Yanko for a couple days now but he is quickly becoming one of my favorite teachers,” sophomore Sophia Miklic claimed. “His light and enthusiasm in class, coupled with possibly the weirdest teaching style ever has already made an impact. Skits during class make even the most boring bits of history stick in my mind like glue.”

There’s a reason that every year you see transfer students intermingling with your classes, and Bethany Kline has some insight: “I transferred to Hoban from Copley because our teachers at Copley literally didn’t teach us and basically made us teach ourselves. I chose Hoban because I already knew some people here and they all told me how much they loved it.” 

With her first year at Hoban off to a great start, she already feels a difference in the atmosphere as teachers reach out to welcome her.

Hoban can be such a positive and productive place, you just have to let it work its magic on you. You’ll know you’re learning to appreciate it when you’re craving a mushy cookie at 3 a.m.