Choffin honors life of student killed in crash

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN -- Students and staff at Choffin Career & Technical Center gathered recently to honor the life and memory of E'Lexus Conner, a Public Safety Academy student who was killed in a crash July 12 at Market Street and East Myrtle Avenue on the South Side.

E'Lexus's mother, Yolanda Driver, attended the memorial, which brought together students from Choffin's Public Safety Academy, Salon Arts Academy: Hair Design and B Strong Esthetics, Nails & Self-Care Studio.

E'Lexus's sister, En'Dia, also was involved in the accident and continues to recover. En'Dia graduated from Choffin in May.

As part of the memorial, B Strong dedicated a wind chime in E'Lexus' honor. The wind chime will hang from a tree outside the front doors of Choffin, where students will be able to see and hear it each day as they enter and exit the career center.

The memorial is intended to serve as a lasting reminder of E'Lexus and the place she holds in the Choffin community.

B Strong is a Choffin initiative focused on helping students develop effective strategies for coping with life's challenges, grief and loss. Established in 2023, the initiative is led by Assistant Principal/Dean Denise Zordich and provides programming and opportunities for students throughout the school year. Its signature event is B Strong: Celebration of Life.

"Choffin is more than a career center. We are a community, and when one of our students experiences a loss, we come together to support one another," Zordich said.