A superhero’s death — Austin Edenfield

WASILLA — Austin Edenfield was 15 at the time of his death, just a month before his 16th birthday. He impacted so many of us at Burchell High School. Everyone adored him and loved his upbeat and zany personality. Being one of the most positive students at the school, his smile lit up the school’s halls every day. He was extremely kind-hearted and selfless and always put others before himself.

After hearing accounts from Austin’s closest friends, we can say with certainty that he made us all stronger people. He did so much in his 15 years of life, and made a lifetime worth of memories and several lifelong friends. Austin is and always will be an integral and memorable part of our school in the sense that he was our Superman. He saved many of us every day in the smallest ways. Whether it was a high five, fist bump, or hug, he found a way to save the day. We asked some of his closest friends, “What made Austin a hero to them?” and these are their responses:

“Yes, he was a hero. Neither of us saw the truck coming, he chose to walk on the outside of the road to look out for me that day. He was a good guy and a great friend.” — Will Johns

“He always made people happy and tried to save people, He saved one of his best friends; he was always a superhero.” — Hannah Meeks

“He helped mold me into who I am today.” — Obra Dalrymple

“He helped me to do better in school.” — Ari Drew

“Everything he did was for other people. If you needed advice he would give it to you.” — Justin Toler

“He always strived to do better for his life, family, and friends. He always did for others before himself and never asked or expected anything back.”— Jess Dalrymple

“He was always the person who reminded me that people care about me.” — Diann Ryall

“He was a hero in the way that he was motivated and goal oriented. He was a modern day hero because he gave a damn about education.” — Benji Meeks

“I believe Austin was a walking Superman for me and so many others. I know he saved me everyday.” —Alissa Brotherwood

“Definitely, my favorite superhero is Spiderman, and we always argued about who was better, Spiderman or Superman. But Austin is my favorite superhero now.” — Chris Brueggeman

Alissa Brotherwood and Victoria Rogers are students at Burchell High School in Wasilla.