Teachers say 11-year-old Tristian Moore had 'passion for life'

A family, a community, and a school are remembering fifth grade student and 11-year-old Tristian Moore after a tragic car accident took Tristian’s life on Monday morning.

Shawn Jacks, the after school Program Director at Success Academy in South Bend, knew Moore for nearly a year and a half.

“Just being around him. I’m only around him a couple of hours each day. I know he’s rubbed off and touched them. I’m pretty sure they are feeling lost right now,” said Jacks.

Success Academy Principal, Dean Fetcher, said Monday was the hardest day he’s ever experienced as an administrator.

“It's rough when you lose part of your family, and all of our students here we consider as family," said Fetcher.

Tristian’s mother, April Young, asked the community to help bury her son and set up a go fund me page asking for the community’s help.

“Tristian was such a wonderful young man and made such an improvement in the past year and a half at Success Academy. It’s just so sad how it turned out,” said Fetcher.

Not only are those educators saying Moore was a spirited young man, but someone who was passionate for basketball, a sport Jacks was helping him with.

“We’re actually supposed to start this week on little dribbles and moves. So that was the last thing I talked to him about,” said Jacks.

There will be grief counselors on hand all week for students, staff and parents at Success Academy.

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