From the loudest cheerleader at the football games to the quietest kid in the back of the AP class,
From the talented singer headed to all state choir to the exceptional three-sport athlete,
From the class clown always getting in trouble with Kenny and Molly, to the kid that you might never notice sitting alone at lunch
All these people, and all of those in between.
They are Erie.
This is Faces in the Crowd, Ed. 3

The 2018-19 school year has brought in hundreds of new freshmen, making the Class of 2022 the largest class that Erie High School has ever seen. While significance can get lost in the sea of new students, Gavin Bealer is an example of charisma amongst this wave of incoming ninth graders.

Bealer, having arrived at Erie High following his graduation from Erie Middle School, experiences the same changes that any typical freshman has to undergo; since the beginning of the school year, Bealer has had to adjust to the stress of entering an entirely new environment as the small fish in the pond. “I’ve made friends [and] lost friends,” Bealer reminisced while touching on how this time period has been pivotal for him. He also explained his dislike for the prejudices that come with being a freshman, such as being underestimated despite his qualities and talents.

When it comes to passions and devotion, Bealer plays the alto saxophone for the Erie High Band. “In sixth grade, my brother [Joey Bealer] was in band, so I decided to try it, but I didn’t want to be in percussion so I [chose saxophone] because it seemed like a challenge.” Now, he is glad that he made that decision because every band rehearsal pushes him to improve while also providing him the opportunity to perform with an instrument about which he is passionate.

When asked for a fact about him that most people may not know, Bealer revealed that he had tried out for golf earlier in the year, and while he was not accepted, it was a step out of his comfort zone. He also discussed his origins, such as how he was born in Northglenn, Colorado, until a few years ago when his family made the move to Erie in order to build the house of their dreams.

Bealer has a personality of joy and high energy, making him a very bubbly and enjoyable person to be around — that is, if you can catch on to his rather heavily sarcastic sense of humor. His laugh is one of the most contagious to fill a room, making him a living example of someone who can remove tension from any given interaction by being an easy person to talk to. Bealer strives to be at a place in his life where he can live beyond the opinions of others and grow in his talents and passions as he continues his journey.