NHS Valedictorian Speaks

At Middle Gate, Receives Scholarship

Newtown High School’s 2011 class valedictorian Drew Robinson returned to his educational roots last month and gave a short speech to the fourth graders finishing up their elementary years at Middle Gate Elementary School on Wednesday, June 22, during the Fourth Grade Awards Ceremony at the school.

Drew was named the winner of the Middle Gate Elementary School Parent Teacher Association’s 2011 Scholarship Award, a $1,500 college award given annually by the PTA to one high school graduate who attended Middle Gate and who the Scholarship Committee decides has shown community, extracurricular, and academic leadership.

As the 2011 scholarship winner, Drew was invited to speak at Middle Gate’s Fourth Grade awards ceremony.

Drew spoke about how, during his years as a student at Middle Gate, he enjoyed learning about the planets from math-science specialist Pam Fagan — “So much so that I made a book of them that Mrs Fagan kept in her room for as long as I went to Middle Gate.”

As a surprise for Drew, Mrs Fagan brought out the book and displayed it to the audience.

Drew told the assembled fourth graders that they, too, should learn about the things that most interest them.

“The point of me telling you this story is that although many kids like sports, some like reading, and even a handful like me enjoy learning about the planets; don’t ever let anybody tell you that you should change your interests just because they may be a bit odd,” said Drew. He added, “When you find what you really love to do and learn more about it from year to year, school can be a lot of fun.”

Drew plans to attend Columbia University in the fall, to study biomedical engineering.

He and his friend Brian Reed learned on May 17 where they had finished their high school careers. They knew going into that evening’s Board of Education meeting that they were the top two students in the class, but did not know who would be valedictorian and who would be salutatorian. Brian served as the salutatorian when graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2011 were held last week.

Both credited each other with pushing the other to be their academic best.