Kristopher Trollman was a new student at Nixa. Although he was here for a short time, he left a big impact on many lives. With his big smile and friendly appearance, he always knew how to cheer others up.
On Nov. 3, Trollman died from an unspecified heart problem. He was part of a military family and was born in Germany and later moved to various locations around the United States.
This year, he came to Nixa as a sophomore and quickly made many friends.
“He was just starting to love his new school and the people that he came in contact with,” his grandmother and adoptive mother Diamond Paul said.
Trollman loved basketball, video games, history and his friends. Sophomore Jozalynn Jones was not just Trollman’s neighbor, but also his best friend.
“I will miss the early mornings where he would play basketball and the late nights where we would just sit and talk about things,” Jones said.
Trollman’s biggest strength was being a social person. He knew how to put a smile on anyone’s face even if he did not know them, and could make people laugh with his jokes and his contagious laugh. Math teacher Jesus Zuniga said he enjoyed having Trollman in his class.
“Trollman was willing to talk to anyone, which can go back to being kind hearted,” Zuniga said. “He was always a people person and had a weird sense of knowing when people were down — which led to him attempting to make them smile.”
Although Trollman was new to the district, he quickly became an Eagle. He could spread a smile throughout all his classes. Kari Hanks, who teaches Biology, was his teacher.
“Trollman had moved schools more than most students and still managed to maintain a positive attitude,” Hanks said.
Trollman changed many people’s lives in the short time he was a student at Nixa.
“No one knew anything was going on; he never acted like he was sick,” Zuniga said. “He could have been feeling ill or been in a bad mood, and one would have never been able to tell.”
His mother said he was usually a healthy student.
“Kris was never sick until this past year,” Paul said. “Kris has a hidden sickness not even he knew what it was. It was his heart. I took him to see a doctor just a week before he passed. Kris was the light of my life.”
Trollman always made an effort to stay engaged during lessons.
“His work ethic was amazing,”Zuniga said. “He was always positive and would always participate even if he did not know the answer. He was always willing to learn — which is all a teacher can ask.”
Trollman will be missed by many and will forever be in his friends’ hearts.
“The fourth of July is a day I will remember,” Jones said. “We hung out and at night we would go outside and look at the stars and talk about things we’ve gone through. He did not have the best childhood so it was nice to listen to his stories and have someone to listen to mine.”
Paul said Trollman felt welcome at Nixa.
“He was very happy at Nixa High School,” Paul said “I want to thank you all for being there for Kris.”