Days before South Bend Clay High School's closure, seniors commit to continuing its legacy

SOUTH BEND — Community is what makes Clay High School special to two of its graduating seniors. As Clay seniors say goodbye to the place that formed their high school memories, they take comfort in the legacy of Clay that will live on through its graduates. That sense of community will continue on, two seniors say.

Micah Cowells, president of the National Honor Society, and Matthew Shafer, vice president of the National Honor Society and valedictorian, are ambitious friends who have had a friendly competition in their senior year.

“It was funny, for senior awards, we were going down the aisle at the same time,” Matthew said.

Micah and Matthew are also in the school band and part of the student council, where they planned events for the student body. Going into their last year, they were determined to make their time worth it.

“It’s this idea of closing with class,” Matthew said.

He said the student council has worked toward creating an impactful year for the students to cherish. They’ve planned “extra things,” Matthew said, to have “really great spirit moments.”

“Our homecoming was big,” he said.

“It was one of the best ones, I’d say,” Micah added. “A lot of people came and we actually won this time.”

As the Clay Colonials faced the John Glenn Falcons on Oct. 6, gaining victory in their final homecoming game with a 19-16 win, Micah and Matthew watched the action unfold from their view with the school band. They were joined by past band alumni.

“We did keep that same energy for sports,” Matthew said, saying that all of their seasons were complete this year. “Everyone had their outlet to shine.”

Closing out the homecoming celebrations, Micah and Matthew helped plan a memorable homecoming dance.

“We had a pretty fantastic homecoming dance,” Matthew said. “There was a lot of spirit in that one.”

Prom, with its masquerade theme, was equally incredible, they said, as it provided an opportunity for students to have fun and enjoy themselves.

In addition to creating memorable school dances, Matthew and Micah built connections with Clay alumni through school outreach.

“It was a lot of respecting the past,” Matthew said.

In collaborating with the organizers of the alumni game and alumni cookout, Micah said, they’ve been intentional with keeping their school traditions alive and not letting their school spirit die out.

“There’s a lot of legacy here,” Matthew said. “We’re acknowledging all that went into it.”

In furthering Clay’s legacy, the school’s fine arts program will find a new home at Riley High School.

Pride in being Clay alumni

When the South Bend Community School Corporation announced that Clay would be heading into its final year, some students discussed moving to another high school or leaving the district altogether, as The Tribune previously reported about a year ago.

Some students worried about how the transition would affect college athletics recruiting, while others discussed the dissolution of the community created at Clay.

Micah and Matthew decided to stay because of that sense of community.

“It’s being part of this really tight-knit community here,” Matthew said. “There’s a lot of people that I know I can go back to.”

“We’re a family,” Micah agreed.

Matthew decided to finish high school at Clay because of the teachers he knew who wanted the best for him. He said the teachers were going to do as much as they could to make the year great.

As Micah and Matthew discussed teachers who have made an impact on their lives, they both credited their "fantastic" band teacher Nathaneal Sudduth.

“We do have a very small band, but we’ve made the absolute most of it," Matthew said. Sudduth "tries to give us the best opportunity that we can (have) to play music."

“Without him, the band wouldn’t have been as great as it has been," Micah said.

Matthew plays the tuba, trombone and drums. Micah plays the bass guitar and previously, the clarinet.

Matthew also talked about the support he’s received from the senior English teacher Kelly Rock.

“She’s putting a large focus on keeping the legacy of Clay,” Matthew said.

In class, students made senior memory books and created passion projects where Rock encouraged her students to follow their passions. Matthew composed his own song.

The teachers' efforts paid off as, Matthew said, “I think we have had a pretty great year.”

As Micah and Matthew prepare to close this chapter and open a new one, Micah said his time at Clay will be a big part of who he is for his whole life.

“I’m always going to be able to think back on it and think about the good memories that I’ve had here,” he said. “I’ll still have those friends. I don’t want to lose all the connections that I’ve had. I want to stay in touch and still talk to them.”

Pressing onward

As they press through to the last week of high school and their future as college students, Matthew and Micah said it feels like a breath of fresh air.

“I can breathe,” Micah said. “We’re there. We’ve reached the end.”

Matthew said he has a little bit of anxiety, but he’s mostly confident.

“We’re going into a new phase of our lives,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting. We’re going to go to college. We’re going to start pursuing our passion more in depth.”

Matthew will attend Indiana University-Bloomington in the fall to pursue a degree in business.

He hasn’t decided on a specific degree within the Kelly School of Business, but is looking forward to exploring his options. He gravitated toward the wide variety of opportunities business offers.

“I felt like there’s a lot of opportunities to rise up and be a leader,” he said.

Matthew’s course in college will build on his leadership skills that he started at Clay as a part of the student council.

“It’s nice to be a role model for other people,” he said.

Micah will attend Kalamazoo College in Michigan, majoring in biology.

“Throughout my whole life I’ve always liked science and biology,” he said. “It’s one of the major concerns of our world right now.”

Micah called an AP science course, taught by Rose Calhoun, one of the best classes he’s ever had.

“She made it really interactive and it was a great experience overall,” he said.

As graduation draws nearer, Micah said, a part of himself is sad.

“These past four years, with as many troubles with COVID and all of that, it’s been difficult," he said, "but it has been really great.”

In his “amazing” four years, Micah said, he’s sad to leave and to leave some of his friends here.

Matthew said he hasn’t discussed the future yet with his friends. He’s not sure where they’ll be, but both he and Micah won’t be too far away from home.

“I am still excited to see what the future has to hold," he said, "and what my life is going to be like.”

Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: In Clay High School's final days, seniors discuss 'closing with class'