Student of the...?

    End of the school year.

    Exams.

    Summer reading lists.

    And student awards.

    Oh, those student awards. From Perfect Attendance to Best Athlete and all categories in between.

    As an ESL teacher, I see many of my students exist on the fringes of the school experience. Sports, band, clubs; they often participate less frequently. So when I have a kid on a sports team, in the orchestra, or in theatre, my pride in that achievement soars. School awards at the end of each year are no exception.

    Each year, I and the other teachers select a top student for the year from our classes. Beyond the confines of each classroom, we also nominate and vote on the best citizens, the best athletes, and the best scholars. The top award is accorded the impressive title of Student of the Year.

    Student of the Year is a Big Deal. Not just a student with athletic ability or good grades. 

    

    Someone with character.

    Someone with leadership.

    This past year, one of my students was voted as the Student of the Year. Victoria was diligent, painstaking, cheerful, and unflaggingly helpful to everyone else. Never resting on her previous accomplishments, she worked as faithfully on classroom worksheets as on major tests. Never taking her success as completed, she daily proved her commitment to study.

    

    Since she and her family received an invitation to the awards ceremony, she KNEW she was receiving SOME award. Of course, she assumed it was a classroom-level honor. Maybe for my English class, or for Science or Art. As the ceremony progressed, I noticed her scanning the teacher's section nervously several times, trying to figure out who had singled her out for an honor.

    Finally all the individual class awards were given, and it was time for the higher-level certificates. Up next; citizenship and attendance. Rather than being called to the stage individually, groups were called en masse. At this point it became more like a factory; traipse across the stage, hold up the certificate, smile for the group photo. Then herded off stage left and directed back to the audience.

    So ordinary a process you could close your eyes and imagine it.

    

    Except this time someone goofed. They called Victoria along with the large group, shuffled her across the stage, realized there was no certificate for her. Simple mistake-but to an adolescent in front of a crowd, being singled out awkwardly on stage could have been catastrophic. One of the organizers hustled Victoria back to her seat, and I could see she was visibly confused and rattled. True to her mettle, however, she took a deep calming breath to soothe her quailing nerves. 

    By my watch, it took almost 15 minutes to reach the end of the program. To Victoria, unsure as to what was going on, what award (if any) she would receive, could there have been a mistake in calling on her at all, I am sure it felt a lifetime. Interminable athletic awards, most school spirit, then The Big Kahuna. 

    Stealing glances at her, I saw her celebrate her classmates as they were called to the stage, saw her congratulate them as they reseated themselves on her row. Saw her focus on their success and triumph rather than worry about her own place in the program. Saw her encourage the section seated around her to clap and cheer wildly for everyone that was selected.  As they called her name as Student of the Year, as she burst into jubilant tears as she stepped up to the podium, I realized how her actions proved her a worthy recipient.

    Not just someone with athletic ability or good grades.

    

    Someone with character. Focused on the success of others even in the midst of personal uncertainty.

    Someone with leadership. Effortlessly motivating others to do the right thing.

    Sometimes we think we have missed out on an opportunity, only to find later that we have met a significantly more signal honor. It is in the moments after the initial confusion and disappointment that we show the true test of our nature. Victoria showed hers last May, one balmy evening in the cafeteria of McMeans Junior High School.

    I hope that I can exhibit half the grace and presence shown by this spectacular girl.