After losing mom, Liberty High School senior turns to sports, family

Despite almost 10 years of emotional obstacles, Liberty High School senior Garrett VanSlyke never chose failure.

His high school principal, Aaron Fletcher, credits VanSlyke’s success to his drive, persevering spirit and upbeat attitude.

“He’s battled a lot and become a great contributor to our student community,” Fletcher said. “I’m really proud of all he’s accomplished as I’ve watched him grow up to be a fine young man.”

Fletcher taught VanSlyke in second grade and mentored him throughout high school, particularly when he struggled academically and emotionally his freshman year. As VanSlyke progressed, he started to “figure it out,” Fletcher said.

“We touched base two or three times a week to see how things are going,” Fletcher said. “Now, I see him in the hallway and we probably touch base once a month to have those deep conversations.”

VanSlyke’s father, Michael, is grateful for Fletcher, whom he called an “amazing man.”

“Really, the whole staff at Liberty has been so awesome with him,” he said.

When VanSlyke was 8 years old, his mother lost her battle with cancer. The loss drives him to succeed in his efforts the way his mother would have wanted. VanSlyke was close with her while growing up, and remembers riding behind her in a wagon and laughing each time she mowed the lawn at his childhood home in Fairfield.

“She was a really funny character,” VanSlyke said about his mom. “She liked to grow flowers and go out in the garden and plant, and she liked riding four-wheelers. I want to keep her with me in a special place in my heart.”

Sports have been an emotional outlet for VanSlyke throughout his life, especially in high school. He played baseball for three years, wrestled his freshman year and joined the football team as its kicker at this year’s state championship.

“After his mom passed, I didn’t really know what to do, so I put him in sports,” Michael VanSlyke said. “That’s part of how we got through it.”

“It was really fun to watch him play football this fall,” Fletcher said. “Probably one of the highlights for me was watching him kick a field goal at the end of the state championship game.”

VanSlyke also enjoys working with his hands, welding art pieces or working on other projects in the shop at Liberty. He wants to attend a trade school in hopes of working as a diesel mechanic.

Though he is focused on academics and sports, VanSlyke is never too busy to help others, Fletcher said. He often volunteers in teachers’ classrooms after school.

When he struggles with his mom’s loss, he leans on a loyal group of friends and his family. Sometimes, lifelong friends find childhood photos of him and his mom, he said. Fletcher said he also witnessed VanSlyke’s core group of friends help him on his journey and the entire Liberty student body encourage his success.

“I had all of my friends from school when she was in the hospital, and my dad and stepmom (Carla) to help me get through it and keep on moving,” VanSlyke said. “I try not to look back and keep on looking at what’s ahead of me instead of behind me.”

Though he is his mother and father’s only child, he has two stepsisters, one stepbrother and is an uncle to six nieces and three nephews. Both VanSlyke and his father say Carla has “been there the whole way.”

“We’re an average family who takes it one day at a time,” Michael VanSlyke said.