Looking back on my life thus far, I think it’s safe to say I’ve made a lot of good friends. 

But there are four guys who have been there since the beginning, and I can’t imagine my life any other way.

We started our journey as friends in the third grade at Garfield Elementary School in Wellsville, Ohio. As you can imagine, we have changed a lot since then. 

After years of sporting events, Sheetz runs and stand up comedy shows, our bond is still as strong as it was back then. 

All four of these guys have a unique story. We still keep in touch through Snapchat and we’re lucky that we still live relatively close to each other. They are the best friends I could have and I want to thank them for always being there for me.

I also want to tell these stories because this gives me an opportunity to mess with them. Because hey, what’s friendship without a little horsing around?

Eric Sullivan is, well, he’s Eric. He was the smartest guy in our graduating class and he was not afraid to let you know. Eric has always been a little bit different from the rest of us. He never played video games. Instead, he preferred to go fishing with his little brother, Matthew. 

Eric has always had plenty of confidence. Eric might kick you if you fall down, but that’s okay. It’s all in good fun. 

Eric is definitely on his way to being a huge success. He is currently studying at Youngstown State University and he has dreams of being an intellectual property lawyer. 

The truth is, Eric is always there to help. When I was in middle school I had to use a wheelchair to get around. Eric would always volunteer to help take me to class. We would FLY to the other side of the building and make it to class on time. 

Eric and I have not always seen eye to eye over the years, but I want him to know he is my guy and I will always continue to send him my story on Snapchat even if he doesn’t approve of it. 

Vinny Giordano is the muscle of our group. He’s one of the best linebackers in Wellsville football history and his work ethic is uncanny. 

Vinny is probably the most fun friend out of the group. His wit and humor are some of his best qualities. In all honesty, the guy is known for having a good time no matter what. 

Vinny has worked hard at everything he’s done thus far. He busted his butt to be able to play football at Waynesburg University.

He was our roommate last year at Kent State and we had tons of fun. However, he was unsure about if he wanted to continue going to college. He decided that college was not for him and he decided to accept a position at a steel mill in Ambridge, PA. 

Vinny really enjoys his new job. Even though we don’t get to see him as often, I’m happy that he gets to make money doing something he enjoys. He is a perfect example of someone who has made a change in his life and is now happier because of it. Keep at it Vinny! Thanks for all the laughs. 

Christian Steff and I have a great bond. Our families have known each other forever and have even been on family vacations together. Christian attends Youngstown State University and is majoring in graphic design. He is my brother Mitchell’s best friend. The two of them are attached at the hip and they have been that way since preschool. They’ve gone from playing with dinosaurs and Spider-Man to attending country music concerts with their girlfriends. 

A lot has changed with Christian over the years, but he has always been helpful and kind. He is the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back. Mitchell and Christian have helped each other through good and bad times. I hope they always continue to be close and that he never changes his ways. 

Well, on second thought it would be nice if Christian would quit being a half hour late to everything. Just kidding! 

Mitchell Reiner, what have I not already said about my twin brother? 

I appreciate all that he does for me and all of the good times we’ve had. 

A lot of people don’t know what a great person Mitchell is. His loyalty and neutrality make him the ultimate friend. I hope that one day I can become as good of a friend as he is. 

Mitchell drove me to Franklin Hall on Tuesday morning and we had a great conversation. We will both be graduating in Fall 2020, and we talked about the fact that we might get to take a class or two together during our final semester. This would be a lot of fun because we haven’t been in the same class for quite a while. I think the last time was during our freshmen year.

Thanks bro for everything you do and I want to apologize for the future beatdown that I’m going to give you in Madden. Good luck! 

Overall, I regret that I have honestly not been the best friend I could have been over the past couple of years because I have been really busy with school, work, TV2 and KentWired, so I want to apologize to them. We may not see each other every day, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not as close as we used to be. Anytime we are together we have a great time. I hope as we get older and move on with our lives we always make time for each other and stay in touch.  

These four buddies are truly the best friends a guy could ask for.

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