By JOHN BAKER, HYLA ALUMNUS.

“Lose not yourself in a far off time, seize the moment that is thine.” — Friedrich Schiller.

Christina Goessman was a beloved former student at Hyla who tragically passed away on April 25^th, 2021 at the age of twenty-four due to a brain aneurysm. As someone who knew her rather well during our time at this school, I wanted to write something about my dear friend so that parents, teachers, alumni, and current students alike could learn more about this incredible woman who meant so much to so many people.

Christina Goessman was without a doubt the best part of my Hyla experience. She was a late addition to our class, having moved to the US from Germany halfway through the academic year, but while her time at Hyla was comparatively brief, I’m grateful for every moment I got to spend with her. I can still remember our first interaction. I was walking down the hill to Room E for Morning Meeting, and when I looked ahead of the crowd of students, I saw “the new girl from Germany” holding the door open and letting everyone go in ahead of her. I felt bad making her stand out in the cold, so when I approached her, I pointed out that there was a kickstand attached to the door and then flipped it down to keep the entrance open. She thanked me and then we entered the room together.

I love this memory because it highlights one of Christina’s greatest qualities, and that is her unconditionally kind spirit. She was friendly and compassionate to everyone she came across and never expected anything in return. I was a very shy and quiet person during my time at Hyla, and making new friends was not a skill that came naturally to me. I constantly worried about how I could impress my fellow classmates and make them believe I was fun to be around, but Christina was one of a few people with whom that was never a concern of mine, because she liked me just as I was. With her, I was free to be myself, and that sense of security was something I hadn’t known for a long time. There were many, many days when Christina was the only reason I was excited to go to school. Even if I were dreading a certain class, a missed homework assignment, or where to sit during lunch, I would always look forward to seeing Christina and the conversations we would have together.

In addition to being so incredibly kind, Christina was also an exceptionally bright and talented student who always astounded her peers and her teachers with not only her natural intelligence but with her rigorous work ethic. She was a jack-of-all-trades who sought to do her best with everything she tried. As a student at Bainbridge High School, she became an active member of the school’s drama club and gave a standout performance in every production she was a part of, including Neil Simon’s Rumors and Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. After finishing high school, she attended Durham University in the UK, where she began to compete in ballroom dancing competitions and eventually became a UK varsity champion in 2017. She also participated in several archaeological excavations that took her to Sweden, Spain, Northern England, and the Azores. She would eventually graduate from Durham with a Bachelor of Science in Archaeology and a Master of Science in Paleopathology.

She was also a member of search and rescue, a photographer, an aspiring physician, and I’m certain the list goes on for a while. She was never the type of person to be content with spending her weekend lounging around on the couch watching television. There was always something she was driven to do, one more adventure calling her name, one more experience she needed to have in her life.

Christina’s early departure from our world is a tragic loss that will linger on in the hearts of her friends and family forever, but I am comforted by the knowledge that she was able to accomplish so much and have so many wonderful experiences while she was with us. I truly believe that Christina lived more in twenty-four years than some people could in a hundred. She lived her life boldly, fearlessly, and adventurously from her first breath to her last. My life will be forever changed for having been her friend, and there are countless others who would say the same.

It is my hope that the inclusion of the memorial bench on the school’s grounds will not only serve as a kind reminder of a remarkable young woman, but will also inspire current and future students to live their lives with as much passion and dedication as she lived hers.

Christina is survived by her parents, John and Cornelia, and by her sister, Julia.

Thank you, Christina.