Richie Hoskins

It’s almost routine at this point. Walk up to each other. Give a loud and commanding exchange. Tie it all together with a firm handshake. Go about the rest of your day with the energy of a thousand winds.

For most, this sort of an encounter is far too much to go through amidst the sea of hallway bypassers at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning. For sophomore Richie Hoskins, it’s just another day in the books.

“Honestly, I don’t think it really matters who he happens to run into,” said classmate and life-long friend Alex Pasinato. “Regardless the person, Richie’s always giving off an upbeat and energetic vibe that just gets others going. It’s an ability not all of us can say we have, which, I think, makes him pretty unique.”

Richie’s buoyant personality is undeniably something those around him feed off of; there’s no two ways about it. The same can be said when Richie ditches the backpack and the familiar confines of the classroom for the turf at West Campus for lacrosse in the spring and football in the fall.

As a proud member of both respective Varsity teams, Richie continues to exude such a vibrant demeanor as if it’s second nature; and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

“You hear about it all the time. Someone on the team steps up and leads by example,” said senior and fellow lacrosse teammate Bobby Winebrenner. “But in Richie’s case, when he’s able to do that as a sophomore on a team full of upperclassmen, that speaks a lot towards his character.”

That admirable charisma and leadership ability is uniquely coupled with an impressive work ethic. After finding his way onto the field for some Varsity action during his freshman lacrosse tenure, and then climbing his way up the ladder to cap off his sophomore football campaign as a defensive starter, no one better understands the cliché “hard work pays off” than Richie.

Nothing in life is going to be handed to you on a silver platter, which is an attitude instilled in Richie’s fierce and competitive nature on and off the field.

“There’s not many who play with as much aggression and passion as he does,” added Winebrenner. “But the fact that he’s been able to play like that with ease at such a young age…You just know he’s destined for bigger and better things down the road.”

So whether it be the “hello” that gives you the confidence to nail that history exam or the uplifting that you’ve been needing to hear to shake off that cold streak on the field, Richie’s the type of guy who is always there in your corner, having your back every step of the way.