In a touching ceremony, the Roosevelt Elementary School community came together to honor the memory of Mikey Lupo, a former student who passed away in September 2024 after bravely facing health complications throughout his life. In his honor, a Cherokee Princess Dogwood tree was planted in the school’s reading garden, serving as a beautiful symbol of life, strength, resilience, love, hope, and protection.
Dozens of people gathered around the tree on Monday, forming a circle as the sun rose over the school. Roosevelt Principal Dr. Kevin Dwyer stood at the front and explained why it was so important to remember Mikey. The dedication was a way to “honor one of the best students to ever grace the hallways of Roosevelt Elementary School.” Dr. Dwyer said that Mikey “made you better” and that he made teachers “stronger and work more collaboratively” at the same time as making other students kinder and gentler.
Seven years ago, Dr. Dwyer introduced Mikey as the Mayor of Roosevelt to Alyssa Zommick on her first day as the student services coordinator at the school. She explained that “within days of starting, I absolutely understood Mikey held Roosevelt together. He brought our teams together, he brought our students together, and the community came and followed him along.”
Mikey’s time as a Tiger was remembered as filled with joy, love, and unforgettable memories. His social worker at Roosevelt, Linda Mirza, said he was “social, fun, and full of life. His smile, warm greetings, and joyful laugh brought happiness to everyone around him. He truly embodied kindness and will forever be remembered and honored by all for the incredible opportunity to know him.”
The ceremony highlighted many of Mikey's remarkable accomplishments. Former D64 physical therapist Lynn Condon remembered meeting Mikey when he was three. She said he taught everyone to work hard and stand up for themselves. Among his many achievements, Mikey took his first steps at Roosevelt. At the start of second grade, he received his AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device, which helped him find his voice.
To continue honoring Mikey's legacy, Dr. Dwyer announced a new "day of kindness and a day of action" at Roosevelt. Students earned paper hearts for doing something helpful, uplifting, and kind to another person. These hearts will be strung together and placed on the new tree, symbolizing how Mikey’s kindness will continue to grow within the community.
As the Lupo family - Michael, Melissa, and Lea - stood near the tree, Mikey’s father shared a recent story about the lasting impact of his son’s life. At a family member’s baseball game, Michael Lupo was talking with some players and the coaches. After introducing himself, one of the kids said, “Hi, mister. I’m so sorry about Michael. He was such a good kid.” Then another player came up and did the same thing, and then another.
“I was so proud of these kids for doing that and coming up to me without being told to do that,” said Lupo. Then it hit me all at once that these kids were right around Michael’s age, and all went to school with him here at Roosevelt. So not only was I so proud of them, I was so proud of Michael for doing whatever he did to have an impact on these kids' lives that they will likely always remember,” said Lupo.
“One short and simple act of kindness from kids to an adult that they’ve never met before gave me something that I will most definitely never forget,” said Lupo. “Thank you to everyone for carrying us through this past year and for being there for us when we needed you.”