Steph West| Special to the Times Recorder
Editor's Note: The Times Recorder is profiling seniors from area high schools in Muskingum County coinciding with graduations. They were nominated by school administrators.
ZANESVILLE − When 18-year-old Gavin Bee graduates from Bishop Rosecrans High School on Saturday, he will have done it in the face of extreme financial hardships.
“It definitely has been a struggle,” said Bee, who played football for four years at Bishop Rosecrans. “The thing that kept me going was the Edge scholarship. That saved me.”
And certainly, Bee saved himself.
In the sixth grade he started mowing and doing yard work for money, and then eventually got a retail job at Hothead Burritos.
“I pay for gas and other things,” said Bee. “Basically, I pay for everything I want. I don’t ask my parents for money.”
Bee’s science teacher and rocket club adviser Julia Quaintance said you’d never know that was the case from the way he handles himself.
“He’s managed to cover that very well,” said Quaintance. “I knew he didn’t have the money some of the other kids have, but he was very good with deflecting the need, or making what he spends worthwhile, or taking less.”
Quaintance said Bee is also cognizant of his younger brother, who also attends Rosecrans, and provides transportation for him, as well as watching out for him.
“In rocket club (which is expensive to send up a rocket) he was conscious that there was a cost involved,” said Quaintance. “He’s very conscious of value. Value is more important than show, because of necessity. That’s why he got a job. But he doesn’t make it a point of pity. He just does what he does and moves on.”
Bee said he keeps a positive attitude because he’s aware of the fact he’s getting a great education.
“I’ve always taken that as seriously as I can,” said Bee. “I get good grades; I stay in honors classes. Everyone here holds you accountable to try harder.”
Bee said the environment is what makes it possible to succeed despite any difficult circ*mstances Bishop Rosecrans’ students may be facing.
“The people I’ve grown up with in this community are incredible,” said Bee. “Everyone is competitive. You don’t have people who are dragging you behind. Everybody wants to do good themselves, so it pushes you to do good.”
In addition to being in the National Honor Society, Bee also does community service as part of the Catholic school’s curriculum, as well as religious classes and rituals.
“We go to church every other week,” said Bee. “That brings everyone together here and keeps it a close community.”
Bee credits the small school size with being able to have experiences most kids don’t.
“My freshman year, I played football. And most freshmen know they’re probably not going to see the field,” said Bee. “But since we had so little people, I started offense and defense. I didn’t come out of the game until my junior year when we had more people. That’s an experience most people haven’t had, and that I learned so much from.”
Including being named captain his sophom*ore year.
“That made me realize I was in a position to set an example for others and hold myself as high as I can,” said Bee.
Quaintance said she saw that confidence in Bee as well.
“That’s who Gavin is,” she said. “He has a real positive sense of self and he’s willing to take risks because of that.”
One risk was starting the Rocket Club with some friends after noticing in a school newsletter that there was a scholarship for kids who built a working rocket.
“We did it because it was something we’d never done before. Why not try to get good at?”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true for Bee. This is the kid who took a shopping cart apart and rebuilt it as a motorized version, after all.
“All of my life I have been into building and designing things,” said Bee. “Every chance I could, I’d be taking something apart and putting it back together.”
He said that desire started with a Legos obsession that has continued into his young adult life.
“That’s when I feel the best, is when I’m designing something,” said Bee. “I’ve definitely had a preference for math and science. And I definitely want to stick to a career where I can have fun like that.”
It’s why he’s attending Ohio University for electrical engineering. But not the main campus. His early experience with money challenges has kept him financially humble.
“I’m going to start at the Lancaster branch campus,” said Bee. “It’s cheaper.”
That even-keeled approach doesn’t surprise Quaintance at all.
“He’s no drama,” she said. “He just puts his head down and works. That will serve him well. He’s going to be a great teammate and he’s on track for high quality engineering teamwork that requires sharing of ideas and critiquing.
“He’s definitely a worker bee,” she laughed. Pun intended.
