On the morning of April 28, the Lawrence North community learned of the passing of sophomore Andre Guest. Guest passed away as a result of COVID-19. He was the first child under the age of 18 to pass away from COVID-19 in Indiana.

“We are saddened by the loss of Andre Guest. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they grieve,” Principal Brett Crousore said.

Guest’s teachers remember him as someone who always wanted to make others smile.

“My favorite memory of Dre would have to be when we were at buses after school. One winter day, he could tell that me, Mr. Schroeder and Mr. Seeley were all super cold at bus duty, and as he was boarding his bus, he smiled and then dabbed and stepped right onto his bus. He would always make me laugh,” Ben Morgan, Geography and History of the World teacher, said. 

Photography teacher Buffy Hostetler remembers Guest as a gentle and fun person to be around.

“He was shy and stayed to himself. Andre and I worked together a lot, and I remember him trying not to smile when I would take photos of him. Andre would giggle, but grip that smile so he would not smile. He was fun,” Hostetler said.

Biology teacher Tonya Davis Wagner said Guest always wanted to see the best in others and wanted to bring joy into their lives.

“He really liked to make people laugh. I would like Andre to be remembered as everyone’s friend. You were a better person for just having Andre in your life,” Davis Wagner said. 

English teacher Camila Moody remembers how friendly Guest was to his classmates.

“I will always remember him with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He exuded a sense of calm and friendliness to his classmates,” Moody said.

Guest’s friends remember him as being sympathetic.

“He was a very kind, energetic, innocent, and compassionate soul. He was a very positive person who always tried to get people to feel happy and make our community a better place,” junior Garrett Hinshaw said. 

Guest leaves behind a twin sister, Abigail. Crousore hopes that the school community can help be a comfort for her through this difficult time and as she transitions back to school.

“Right now my thoughts are with [Abigail] and to help her as she comes back to Lawrence North High School. She is a very strong student who lost her brother,” Crousore said. 

On May 1, Lawrence North had a socially distant memoriam for Guest. Students and staff drove by the Guest family home to show how much Guest meant to the Lawrence North community.

“One teacher, I loved it, she brought a teddy bear to the drive-by that we did. That was perfect. That was Andre,” Crousore said.

BSD teacher Carrie Kline remembers a little ritual that she and Guest did every day that would bring them joy.

“I am not exactly sure on how it started, but each day during lunch or class he would ask, ‘Ms. Kline, do you have any peanut butter for me?’ My response was always, ‘Teddy bear, teddy bear, where is my teddy bear’, and then if I had any he would get a peanut butter sandwich.  He would deny ever liking this daily conversation, but I think it made us smile,” Kline said. 

Hinshaw hopes that people will remember Guest’s personality and how he would always spread joy.

“I want him to be remembered as a symbol of positivity because there was never a time where he didn’t try and make the class a nicer place,” Hinshaw said.