On Tuesday, February 14, our community lost a wonderful young man in the most startling and devastating way. Alec Kornet, a seemingly healthy, athletic, 17-year old died after having trouble breathing at hockey practice with absolutely no prior problems or symptoms.

Alec was a very special young man, an honors student, leader on the hockey, baseball, and soccer teams as well as the marching band and just a universally loved person. To lose such a promising young soul in such a shocking way shook our community to its core.

However, the South Euclid-Lyndhurst (SEL) community has rallied around the Kornet family and each other in an overwhelming way. While I’d never say there is anything good to come out of this tragedy, the response from the community has served as a reminder of how special and underappreciated SEL is. Over the years, we’ve seen many move away in search of greener pastures of perceived school superiority or “better” neighborhoods. We’ve heard and felt the underlying questions about why we are still here. Well…this is why.

We’re proud of our diversity, we’re proud of our school district, we’re proud of our students, and we’re proud of our families. We are truly a community in every sense of the word. While we mourn the loss of Alec Kornet, we are reminded of how special SEL is and in remembering and honoring him, we grow even stronger together.

Eric Eckman

Lyndhurst