Aaron D. Koths

Aaron Koths was truly a hero in every sense of the word. He demonstrated such courage when faced with such a difficult situation. His positive attitude was infectious. He always wanted to see how everyone else was feeling, even in the midst of difficult treatments and side effects. His positive caring attitude overcame his obstacles for so long. His smiling face in the hall, kind words and gestures traveled to so many of us here at Northwest High School. Aaron touched my heart by his strength of character. He will remain in my heart as one of life's greatest heroes. I feel honored to have known him.

Linda Kearns, teacher

Aaron at his graduation with teachers Rice Strange, Linda Kearns and Jenny Shepherd

Aaron Koths was a special person who had the ability to help us see that each day was a gift and each friendship a treasure. He showed us how to enjoy the good things in life even while facing the end of life. Many of us remember Aaron most on Valentine’s Day of his senior year. He was dressed in a tuxedo and delivered flowers and balloons to special people at school. He spent hours addressing hundreds of valentines~ one to each girl in the senior class. He loved to have his picture taken with his friends.

Aaron will always live in our hearts because he shared his heart with everyone he met. His faith and courage lifted our spirits, setting an example for us all. He loved to tell his story and was one of the best teachers this school has ever known

Linda McKenzie, Media specialists

Aaron and Christina Mott

The following was submitted by Aaron's Environmental Science teacher, George Eckart.

My first day at Northwest Guilford High School was in August of 2000. I was a lateral entry teacher and was questioning my sanity of leaving the relative serenity of the engineering world behind when I saw my new “science classroom.” I walked in and found thirty desks and chairs and not much else. No sinks, no lab tables, no supplies, not even a paper clip was to be found in this former foreign language classroom

I spent a few minutes pondering my decision to enter the profession when a young man named Aaron Koths came bounding through the door. He informed me that he was going to graduate from high school this year, he was running cross-country, he had a short attention span, and that he needed to sit in the front of the room. Of course, Aaron said all of this without pausing to take a breath and with his eyes locked on mine. I wasn’t sure what to make of him at the time, but I knew right away that he was special and that I had entered the right profession for me. His enthusiasm was immediately contagious. When I informed Aaron that school wouldn’t start for another week, he smiled and told me he just wanted to make sure all of his teachers knew how important it was for him to succeed that year.

I did as Aaron requested and sat him front and center in our Environmental Science class. It was immediately apparent why he had made this request! He could not stop talking to any girl who was within ten feet of him. I was so glad he asked me to keep him on a short leash, because he certainly needed it!!

The school year was only a few weeks old when Aaron told his teachers that he was having some problems. His cross-country times were slower than years past, it was hard for him to see the board, and he was going to see a Doctor to find out what was going on. The word soon came back that Aaron had an inoperable brain tumor.

I wasn’t sure what to think. The first student I met in my new teaching career – and now this devastating news. It all seemed to happen so fast. Of course, Aaron shrugged most of it off and told us all he would be just fine. Aaron started missing a lot of school days and his fellow students started asking a lot of questions about what was going on. I’ll never forget the day Aaron came in and told his classmates about his condition. He asked me to please let him sit on a stool in the middle of the room and let the kids ask any questions they wanted. I could not believe the candor with which he spoke as he answered every question imaginable about his health. There was not a dry eye in the room by the time he was done except for his own, of course! He told us everything would be fine and that he would be rejoining us soon.

The New Year came and went and I heard that Aaron was over at Duke Medical Center for a few weeks. I was driving over to my Air Force Reserve assignment at Seymour Johnson AFB one Friday night after school and I decided to stop by Duke and say hello. I was totally unprepared for how frail and spent Aaron looked. His dad was there and we spoke for a few minutes. As I recall, it was the first time I heard Aaron tell me to not worry because God would take care of him. I felt in my heart that it was the last time I would see Aaron.

Much to my amazement, one short month later Aaron showed up in our classroom back at Northwest wearing a tuxedo of all things. Of course, it was Valentines Day and Aaron was not going to miss a chance to kiss all the girls! I could not believe all the love that was poured out that day. It was a little chilly outside, but I asked if we could go out to the Courtyard and take a group picture with Aaron. I will always treasure this picture. I had basically given up on Aaron one short month before, and here he was handing out roses to every girl he could find. He took me aside and informed me that God would not give up on him and neither should I. I would never make that mistake again

Aaron did graduate that spring. He walked across the stage and the lump in my throat was enormous. He continued to stay in touch with all of us at Northwest for the better part of the next year and half. Some days he would walk in unannounced and ask to speak to my class about courage and faith. Some days were better than others when it came to Aaron’s health and physical appearance. But the smile never left Aaron’s face and the faith never left his heart.

I will never forget the first student I met in my new teaching career. I cherish the time I was able to spend with Aaron Koths and all the lessons he taught us about how to live life.

George Eckart

During the 1999-2000 school year, we @ NWHS were privilidged to have a foreign exchange student from Germany here for part of the school year. During this time, he became friends with Aaron. I recently received his story from Germany. I received his permission to share his words and photos with everyone. Below are his comments.
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My name is Gunnar Falk, and was a student in the class of 2000 for about six months. I live in Germany and was in the States in as an student exchange. I had a hard start in the states. My host family was just not the right thing for me and after two months, and I was short before leaving the country again. But only one person gave me the strength, the power and endurance to stand through this, to go on and find spirit that still carries me today in my everyday life. This person was Aaron Koths.
He was the "captain" of the Cross Country Team and integrated me, a German kid, into the team so well, that I found good friends in this team. We trained hard together every day, no matter the weather, no matter the mood. But Aaron went further. He pulled me out of the house from which I was staying in for parties and Halloween, so I could breathe life and see what the American teenagers do besides watch TV and eat fast food. He was such a great spirit for me. I can put it in word in my native language, of course, but not in English.

Aaron just was the best friend I had in the states and the nicest, most loving and enlighted person I ever met. I can't explain to anyone here in Germany why he meant so much to me if I just knew hem for a handful of months. But it's not the time spent with him that counted, it was the intensity of his presence and aura, the way he thought. How easy life could be he we all just would see it through his eyes. He crawled through mud and came out of it as a shining person who gave spirit to everyone. I'm not religious, I know he received strength from his belief in God and his beliefs carried him on through the hard years.

But for me it didn't need religion to get struck by his spirit and love, he gave me power and love without demanding faith in God from my side. In my eyes, his demandless and never stopping love-giving-nature made him a true hero.

I really miss him, even today, nearly every day. My love and compassion to those left behind.

Gunnar Falk
Bonn, Germany