Our Last RideTogether The Class of 2020

Left to right. Jacob Fowler, Patrick Trulove-Young, Aidan Partch, Cole Houston, and Tucker Sheldrake.

Nobody would have thought that our last fleeting moments of high school would be capped off like this. Cars shuffled into the municipal airport, socially distanced from our friends, peers, teachers, and mentors. Breathing in the warm spring

“While we air… through a mask. To fully understand the magnitude of this journey, I must take you back may not be to the beginning. I was fresh off the Front Range, beginning together, our friendships my 12-year journey in the Roaring Fork Valley. Lucky enough, during my first ever lunch at Sopris Elementary School, a towhead young that started man closely resembling myself, sat down and we began a conversation. This is how I met Tucker. over 12 years Soon we would have a playdate, discovering our parents had grown up together in the Metroago will last Denver area. This one lunch would soon begin a lifelong friendship. Not long after, Tucker a lifetime.” introduced me to Cole and Jacob, and our group had taken shape. We began to play together at recess, birthday parties, and in our respective neighborhoods. By the time 4th grade rolled around, a new kid had appeared. Aiden hailed from the Pacific Northwest, but would quickly meld with our group; so, it began.

The boys progressed through every level of elementary, middle, and high school education. The one constant? We were always together. Challenging each other mentally, physically, and intellectually every step of the way. Our group had finally made it to the end of senior year. Still eating lunch together practically every day, sharing laughs, deep thoughts, and intense UNO games all within the supervision of our favorite teacher, “Gonzo.” Within the walls of 1402, our friendship was at an all-time high.

Our big day, the one we had been eagerly awaiting since those early days at Sopris Elementary, had come. The graduation ceremony went on, our valedictorian delivering a powerful message about the resilience and toughness of our class, a life lesson gained from the greatest blind athlete in the world, and a celebration of car horns and whooping when each of our names was called. When our group came together in the end, the feeling was bittersweet. Parading down Midland and Grand, time was at a standstill. “The Boys” we called it, were together for one last ride, both literally, and physically.

I love each and every last one of them with the bottom of my heart, and while we may not be together, our friendships that started over 12 years ago will last a lifetime. glenwoodchamber.com