Everyone gets a wave of nostalgia when they go back to their hometown, as they reminisce over the streets they used to walk, the houses they used to hang at, to after the weekly fall football games.
Cheyanne Mullen, Kellie Lynch, and Dylan McConville all part of the graduating class of 2016 have returned to their old high school River Dell, creating new memories as they walk the halls.
Cheyanne Mullen and Kellie Lynch have made their big comeback as the new Junior Varsity coaches of the River Dell Cheerleading team. When asked if they expected their life to lead them back to RD, they explained that even in high school they knew they wanted to come back.
Coming back to coach the sport that provided them with so much joy during their high school career was always something they wanted to do. Kiel, the old varsity coach believed that they would be a perfect fit for the job as well. Lynch and Mullen explained, “Kiel always told us that she wanted us to be the coaches for cheer.”
During their high school years Mullen and Lunch said, “Kiel would also say, ‘You guys should come back and take my position when I leave.’” Therefore, when the time came for Kiel to step down, Lynch and Mullen were her first pick.
Best friends, Mullen and Lynch were first introduced to each other through the RD Cheer program and have so many fond memories of cheering their way through high school that they were ecstatic to come back and nurture the new generations into having the same positive and exciting experience their coach had once provided for them.
Dylan McConville, with a similar motive of relaying his wisdom from his past years at RD, has returned to River Dell as a temporary replacement for Mrs. Amadeo the guidance counselor, as she is out on Maternity leave. McConville is very excited to be back as he went through the same experiences many of the students are facing today not too long ago. McConville explains, “It is cool to be a part of the same community that I grew up in, and then come back and help out the kids who are going through the same things that I went though in high school.”
However, McConville stumbled across the job differently than Lynch and Mullen. When asked if he ever pictured himself working back at River Dell he stated, “No. Not in a million years.” Despite not expecting to work at his old high school he still admits that it “is the best.”
The Lynch and Mullen weren’t aware of McConville’s return and neither was he of theirs. They crossed paths one day in the River Dell parking lot over the summer and were eager to reconnect. McConville explains, “I was just going through the parking lot one day and this crazy lady honked at me. It was Mrs. Lynch.”
Coming back to River Dell the three have ran into so many familiar faces. McConville explains that Mrs. Garcia, a current guidance counselor at River Dell, was his guidance counselor when he was a student. Additionally, Lynch and Mullen explained that Coach Nimphius, the football coach, was the coach when they were cheerleaders at RD also.
McConville, Mullen, and Lynch all recall having positive experiences while at River Dell, and are eager to share their wisdom and fond memories with the upcoming generation.
