BY ABBIE TUSCHMAN
It’s not often that an after-school meeting in the CCHS media center results in tear-filled eyes of many in attendance. But on Tuesday, August 21, several of the school’s teachers, club leaders and students gathered in the library to discuss ways that the CCHS Cowboys can honor the memory of Nicole Hobin.
Less than two weeks before the 2018-2019 school year started, the staff and students of CCHS were hit with the news that Hobin, a ninth grade English teacher at the school, had passed away. Since then, many of those that knew Hobin have been planning ways to commemorate her life and demonstrate the impact she had on the Cooper community.
The meeting on Tuesday was primarily led by English teachers Fallan Patterson, Melissa Cabrera and Wendy Schauben- all close friends of Hobin. Cabrera started the meeting off by stressing that the faculty and staff of CCHS want to make sure students’ voices are heard. She stated that teachers and students alike could lean on each other during this time.
“There is no age for grief. There is no age for loss. It is not something you get used to.”
“There is no age for grief. There is no age for loss,” Cabrera said. “It is not something you get used to.”
Meeting attendees brainstormed ideas for honoring Hobin, often focusing on some of her favorite things like unicorns, poetry, nature and reading. Just a few of the proposals made at the meeting were a Nicole Hobin scholarship with a perpetual plaque in the guidance office, a book drive for less fortunate schools and a garden surrounding the tree that will be planted at the school in her memory.
Though both students and teachers plan to honor Hobin in a myriad of ways throughout the school year, some projects are already in the works. Art teacher Irma Barr has started an outline of a unicorn she will be adding to the mural in the school’s Zen garden. Additionally, Sound of Pride members Amanda Arocha and Ilena Chung-Corzo plan to make unicorn pins and ribbons, so CCHS students and staff that knew Hobin can always be adorned with a reminder of her spirit.
“Hobin meant a lot to the both of us [Arocha and Chung-Corzo] and a lot of the members of the band,” Arocha said. “We want to honor her at the football game [on] Friday and show our support to everyone who was also affected by her loss.”
“It’s important that we remember her as the happy, bubbly person she was.”
Cowboys are still processing the loss of Hobin individually, but are finding a way to come together in the process. School clubs such as National English Honor Society (NEHS) and Key Club are planning donation drives and fundraisers to give back to the community and put back into the world some of the positivity that Hobin brought into countless Cowboys’ lives.
“I believe it’s important to host these events so we can remember a teacher who has impacted so many students,” Key Club President Gabriela Carbone said. “Although I didn’t know Ms. Hobin that well, every time I saw her in the hallway she said hello to me and we smiled at one another and I know she is so loved by the community. I think it’s important that we remember her as the happy, bubbly person she was and I think by planting a garden in her honor we capture a portion of her unique, beloved personality.”
Any CCHS students with ideas, thoughts or concerns about remembering Hobin can reach out to Patterson, Schauben or Cabrera- all located on the second floor of the 3900 building. Social workers are also available for students to speak to in the guidance office.
Photo courtesy of Kimber Counts
