Jack Maloney is a unifier. Coming up on the end of his junior year at Trinity High School, he knew he had to do something to alleviate the pain of not being able to see his friends and teachers in person after Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all schools to shut down. With assistance from his internship supervisor, Tony Burke, Maloney started social media hashtag #WeAreTHS in March to formulate a central space for students, faculty and alumni to share videos and stay connected.
“I think the hardest part was not seeing everyone every day like I usually would,” he says.
Although the social media movement began as a means for teachers to send simple video messages to students, it quickly turned into an expansive experience that brought the Trinity community together in more ways than one. Maloney, a three-sport athlete, organized a compilation video of coaches playing virtual catch, which gave students and teachers alike something to laugh about. A math teacher used her video message to incorporate a unique math lesson. And in the spring, the hashtag morphed into a virtual farewell for graduating seniors. Maloney also used the space to promote Trinity’s Out of the Blue annual fundraiser by getting newscasters, radio hosts and athletes such as Tom Hamilton and Sandy Alomar Jr. to send in videos.
With a passion for graphic design, Maloney has enjoyed watching, organizing and clipping together these videos, but admits the best part for him is knowing that he made a difference.
“You could tell that people were affected by it and they were really grateful for it,” he says. “It feels really good to know that I’m helping people.”
