Ryan Gloyer

JACKSON TWP — People passing by the Seneca Valley Middle School may notice a different name on the outside of the building after June 7.

The school district is hosting a ceremony that day for the renaming of the middle school to honor the memory of Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Gloyer, who was killed in battle in Afghanistan in November 2016.

The event is invitation only. It is primarily being held for the students at the school, said Linda Andreassi, district communications director.

All seventh and eighth graders, about 1,200 students, at the middle school will attend the ceremony, as well as 60 guests including Gloyer's friends and family, service members who served with him and local dignitaries.

While the school's renaming won't be official until July 1, the start of the 2018-19 school year, Andreassi said they wanted to hold a ceremony recognizing the change while students were still in class.

Tracy Vitale, district superintendent, said this is an incredible opportunity for students to honor veterans, but also learn about a “great American hero who once walked the halls of Seneca Valley as a student.

“Middle school is a critical time when adolescents are trying to define who they are and what social groups they may want to join or align themselves,” Vitale said. “I can only hope our students will look to Ryan's story as a model of ethical behavior and integrity by which to live.”

Gloyer, a Zelienople resident, was a 2000 Seneca Valley graduate and participated in a variety of activities while in school, including soccer, musical, choir and track and field. After graduating from Thiel College with degrees in early education and psychology, he enlisted in the Army where he earned his Ranger tab and eventually became a Green Beret.

Members of Gloyer's family will speak at the ceremony. In addition, a representative from the military and a teacher from Greenville Elementary School, where Gloyer was a student teacher, also will speak.

The school board voted to rename the school after Gloyer in February after a student-led research committee approached the board with the proposal.