A picture of Jonah Rothschild, John Herman, Sydney Curry, and Ashley Bodish (left to right) taken and edited together by Drumbeat staff.
May 1, 2026
Junior Style
In the past few years, we have interviewed the same four students to track their lives through their years at CHS. We repeat this again for their junior year to see how their road to graduation is coming along. This is the third edition in this series, which was inspired by the British film series “Up!” Learn more about juniors Jonah Rothschild, Ashly Bodish, John Herman, Sydney Curry, and find out how their third year of High School has been treating them. Make sure to check out the Spring 2027 issue to catch up with them again at the end of their Senior Year.
JONAH
ROTHSCHILD
“I was a lot more scared about becoming a junior than I am now.”
Jonah Rothschild was the only interviewed junior who claims, “I haven’t really changed.” This means he is able to stay outgoing and friendly despite now being older and having more responsibilities. One of his favorite responsibilities is starting Lacrosse, which he says is the, “Best part so far I’d say, starting Lacrosse. I’ve been excited for that all year.” Along with that he’s trying to commit to a college for Lacrosse.
Another stand out feature of his junior year is his classes. “I like my classes a lot more. I think specifically engineering and physics, those are two good ones.” This aligns with his goals for his Senior year since he intends on simply taking more classes. His own personal journey through high school so far, in activities such as Marching Band and the previously mentioned Lacrosse, is reflected in his suggestion for others is to, “Be involved in different clubs and school activities.”
ASHLEY
BODISH
“I feel like I’ve grown as a person, from starting a new job, to making and seeing new friends, but still staying true to the ones I have.”
Catch up with Ashley Bodish, a very social and active person who has as many friends as she does responsibilities. “I love introducing myself to people, hanging out with friends, working, and involving myself in as many activities as possible.”
Ashley’s junior year has been riddled with highs, such as her compact program which allows her to spend her mornings at Barberton High School studying business management. Another high includes watching the girls Basketball team in Dayton this past March. However, some lows also prevailed, such as the ever-daunting ACT. Her advice for younger people mentions the ACT. “...start studying soon for the ACT and enjoy high school while you have it, because it truly goes by fast.”
Junior year surprised Ashley by being “fast but slow.” She wasn’t expecting to see and meet so many new people, and she repeatedly mentioned that high school goes by in a flash. Enjoying the younger years is important. Overall Ashley said, “I would say it’s not that bad, besides the weird ‘slump’ in the third quarter I had.” Her plan for Senior year is to get by without Senioritis. Currently, she has some pretty solid ideas for after graduation. “After I graduate, I want to travel abroad to Barcelona, Spain to study Business and Marketing. I am also thinking about double majoring in foreign languages to become fluent in Spanish." Will her plans stay the same after one more year at Copley?
JOHN
HERMAN
“I feel like everyone says junior year is the worst year, but this has definitely been easier by far.”
John Herman, along with getting taller, has been reaping the benefits of his junior year. The main cause of this is most likely his decreased workload, “The best part is probably that I only have three classes.” Having less classes isn’t the only reason this year has been relaxed as in his own words, “I think I’m just like a chill dude.” So having an overall positive attitude can help make junior year less intimidating and more welcoming.
It’s not all easygoing as certain aspects, such as math, can stick out. Overall John doesn’t let that hold him back because this year he says, “I feel like I actually have a lot more available to do whatever I wanna do.” His outlook on junior year is best reflected by the advice he gives to future juniors. “I think just don’t think too hard about it. Like the closer you get to your Senior year the more worry about all this stuff, but it’s really not that deep. Things will work out, eventually.”
SYDNEY
CURRY
“It’s just like your freshman year, don’t overwork yourself with things. You have so much you need to complete in that year just by yourself.”
Sydney Curry’s climb through high school sees her gaining more and more responsibilities as she works towards her goal of taking several AP classes her senior year. In her own words, she is, “happy to be alive right now” with extra emphasis on the “alive” part. She’s changed from sophomore to junior year too, “I guess I have been more independent? Or maybe less independent you know?” To her, self description is hard, although intelligent and stylish fit the bill.
Sydney was genuinely surprised by how quickly the year went by as well stating, “I’ve been here for … maybe like three months and we’re almost at the end of the year.” During this year she was able to reach the beloved junior milestone of obtaining her license and successfully avoid repeating sophomore sadness.
In the end, Sydney appears to have enjoyed her junior year, even if there is always something important around the corner like the ACT. Her final advice for incoming juniors is to, “...stick with your friends. You may have lost some, but stick with your friends. And actually do your work ya’ll.”