Quaker Connections

Not missing out -- Senior Luke Amos makes up for lost time

In less than nine months, senior Luke Amos will finally be walking in front of his friends and family in his cap and gown. After a long three-and-a-half years, Amos has worked hard to be a proud, soon-to-be graduate of Plainfield High School. After all this time in school, Amos has many stories to tell and advice to give. One story starts all the way back in preschool at Brentwood Elementary, where Amos had to be forced to ride a yellow scooter by his then -- and now -- principal, Pat Cooney. 

\tCooney reflected back on the event, noting, “My most memorable Luke Amos story comes from preschool. That boy, at that time, was so stubborn, I mean stubborn as can be.” Cooney explained that Amos and his preschool classmates were going to activity class, where the children were going to learn how to ride scooters. Cooney’s smile got a little bigger as he said Amos was given a yellow scooter to ride -- and he threw a humongous fit because he didn’t want a yellow scooter. The fit grew so bad that the teachers had to get Cooney to defuse the situation. Amos was persistent on not riding that yellow scooter, but after at least two hours of negotiating, Cooney finally convinced Amos to ride it. Despite the scooter incident and nine different school years of being Amos’ principal, Cooney related, “Luke’s just a great, great kid.”

\tThough he did miss a couple hours of class on that day, Amos feels like he has missed out on school more than other students. Amos had to miss a semester of his freshman year and then had to miss a big chunk of sophomore year due to Covid-19. Amos expressed how aggravating it was, looking back on all the time he missed. “I feel that I definitely did not have a normal high school experience,” he explained. 

\tHowever, he is making up for lost time now. Heavily involved on the yearbook staff as a photographer and burgeoning writer, Amos has found the perfect spot for him to shine. “On the yearbook staff, the people are pretty cool,” he said, “and it’s fun interacting with a lot of people in the school. I hope to make an impact with my work in this class.”

\tHe is also working hard in his engineering class in order to prepare himself for the future. “Taking engineering classes in high school will help me with engineering classes in college,” Amos explained. “I am also thinking about joining the Coast Guard. Having college paid for by the military is a big motivation for joining.”

\tOver the past 13 years, Amos feels like he has grown a lot -- both as a student and as a person. No longer squabbling over the color of a scooter, Amos expressed pride in some of his achievements, like, “having better common sense and knowing a lot more things now.” 

\tDespite the fact that he missed out on a bit of high school, unlike many other seniors, he is not quite ready to leave. “I’m not very excited to graduate from high school,” Amos shared. “I am sad that I won’t be going here anymore. I’ll be moving away from home, from Plainfield.”

\tHe will also miss his friends -- friends who have become “the best friends I have had in years,” he explained, as well as his younger sister, Kate. “I am very proud of her,” he added. “I feel like she has accomplished a lot of things.

\tNonetheless, Amos will be moving on to the next chapter. His “unique mindset on life,” as he describes it, will take him to new adventures, while allowing him to look back at his past in a bittersweet light. “I hope I remember the events that happened that resulted in meeting my friends,” he said. “I hope people will remember that I existed.”

Story by Sophie Hudson