Responsibility comes in twos
12-year-old twin gets award for his work with sibling on the school safety patrol.

By C. Ron Allen
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Kyle and Cody Cossick marvel at the progress they've made over the past year and a half since their mother and father died within six months of each other.

The twins, 12, were often angry and somewhat rebellious, especially when other students at Nob Hill Elementary School made comments about their parents' deaths. They had to undergo therapy.

"It gets me kind of mad when they made fun of them, but I ... don't hit them because I don't want to get in trouble," said Kyle, of Oakland Park. "They say Yo Momma jokes and I get really mad."

The twins' father, Larry Cossick, died in March 2005 at age 40 from a head injury suffered in a fall. Six months later, their mother, Dawn Cossick, died in her sleep, also at age 40.

Today, the boys are model students. They cooperate with their guardian, teachers and students and work with their peers, guidance counselor Cindy Garcia-Tabio said.

No one has seen as much change as their aunt, Debbie Youngblood, their mother's twin sister. The boys live with Youngblood.

"They amaze me everyday that I've had them ... how wonderful they are doing and what they are doing with their lives now compared to where they were a year and a half ago," Youngblood said.

Having each other as a sounding board helped in the healing process, the boys said.

"We can talk together and when we get sad, we can play together," said Cody, who was recently honored as South Florida Sun-Sentinel Kid of Character for responsibility in the program that recognizes students who best exemplify the Broward County School District's character education traits.

As members of the school's safety patrol, the twins have been encouraging their peers to follow school rules.

"I want to help other kids be a good person," said Kyle. "I try to do good in school, pay attention in class and encourage them to do the same. If I can be a good student, they can, too."

Before school, Kyle greets students, staff and visitors on his post at the front door to the school. His brother patrols his post at another entrance near the soccer field. They repeat the ritual shortly before school dismisses. And they're having fun.

"It's really cool but there's a lot of responsibilities such as getting good grades [and] behaving," said Kyle . "You pretty much patrol the halls. If someone does something wrong, you give [him or her] warnings."

Repeat scofflaws could get written up and hauled in to see a teacher.

Their mother worked at Nob Hill Elementary as a teaching assistant in a second-grade classroom. As a former safety patrol member, it would have delighted her to see her sons follow her footsteps, they said.

"I think she would be really proud of us because we are actually doing something," Cody said.

This is one in a series of stories on students who best exemplify the Broward County School District's eight character education traits -- cooperation, responsibility, citizenship, kindness, respect, honesty, self-control and tolerance -- and patriotism as part of all eight.

C. Ron Allen can be reached at crallen@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7917.