Remembering Thomas

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“Wow! What a voice!”

“This is often the statement many individuals made when Thomas Bosmeniel made a presentation in public,” said Clark Kolterman, a teacher of the 19-year-old who died Nov. 5.

“Often their advice followed recommending that he should develop his voice and talent and make a career using his outstanding, rich, deep voice to continue to entertain and educate the audience.”

That’s what Bosmeniel was doing as a freshman in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Broadcasting program.

Bosmeniel graduated from Seward High School this past May. The news of his death last week hit former classmates, teachers and their families especially hard.

“Thomas was a fantastic young man, and he was a great role model for a lot of kids as far as how hard he worked here in school and the talents he had. He had tremendous talents,” said Scott Axt, principal at Seward High School.

The school opened its doors to students, parents and community members Monday night, Nov. 5, after news spread of Bosmeniel’s death. Members of the school’s crisis team were on hand to support those grieving.

“It’s really impacted our staff a lot here and our students,” Axt said. “He had just graduated and done so much here and overcome a lot of things to be very successful.”

Bosmeniel was involved in a wide variety of activities at the high school, including Skills USA, FFA, speech, Poetry Out Loud, choir, state fair education contests, one act, musical, quiz bowl and Cornhusker Boys State.

He served as the high school’s representative to the district school board and read the daily announcements at school.

He was consistently on the honor roll and a member of the National Honor Society, also earning Student of the Month and PRIDE awards along with his many achievements in each activity in which he participated.

In 2017, Bosmeniel volunteered with the Nebraska Chautauqua, Seward Fourth of July celebration and the Centennial Players’ melodrama.

“Thomas had a work ethic that did not quit,”

Kolterman said. “He so willingly volunteered wherever needed, and no task was beneath him. He was the first to one-act play practice, setting up the set, and the last to leave, helping to break it down.”

Kolterman worked with Bosmeniel over the past three years and called him one of the most respected student leaders in the school.

“Seward High has many interesting and multi-talented students, yet Thomas will always be one of those that was ‘a cut above,’ and he will be missed,” Kolterman said.

He described Bosmeniel as “talented, creative and dedicated,” and as a “professional, first and foremost.”

“Thomas was a unique student and one of the most memorable students in my 23 years of education,” Kolterman said. “He was almost famous for his speaking talent, but also so well known for his humility and for his polite, kind and courteous ways with his interaction with others.”

Axt said the school district will continue to offer support services for students and families affected by the loss—the second the school district has experienced in the last two months.

Kenneth Sanchez, a 2017 Seward High School graduate, died Sept. 9 at age 20.

Sanchez played football, wrestled and ran track for the Bluejays.

Axt said in situations like this, the school makes an effort to reach out to students and parents by sending out statements and offering crisis counseling.

He said the school also followed up with graduates who are now at different colleges, asking those schools to check up on those students and offer resources.

“We try to inform our kids that there are services available at the schools they go to,” Axt said.

He said that while every situation is different, the Seward school district has a crisis and safety team, led by Dr. Matt Dominy, that is trained to deal with these types of events.

The team is made up of staff from the elementary school, middle school and high school.

Axt said offering support and counseling for students who may be grieving is important, “but (we want) to have some normalcy for our students, too,” he said.

“It’s always tough to hear this type of news come out,” Axt said. “He (Thomas) had a big impact here on Seward High School.”

Amy Struthers, interim dean of the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications, in which Bosmeniel was enrolled, issued a statement on behalf of the university.

“We valued having Thomas as part of our university family. He was an engaged and positive presence in our classes,” Struthers said. “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.”

emily@sewardindependent.com