Laughter through tears at BHS dinner

Some of Baldwin’s outstanding students were honored May 30 at the Senior High School’s In Recognition of Excellence Dinner. Among the 10 honorees were young filmmakers, writers, businesswomen, poets and representatives of other disciplines.

Each honoree was invited to thank three teachers from each tier of his or her education. Teachers from the elementary, middle and high schools were singled out, and tissues were soon in short supply as the young standouts described the contributions their instructors made on every level.

“Even when Ms. Heyman had a baby, who became more important to her than I was,” said Daniella Guzman, a bubbly BHS senior reading a script from which she often strayed, “I still bought her sunflowers because I remembered that was her favorite.”

And Brittany Stanczuk, who plans to become a psychologist, credited her teacher Mary Fallica with giving her lofty goal firm roots in reality. “You were always clear about your high expectations for us,” Stanczuk said. “And you forced us to live up to them. When I told you I wanted to be a psychologist, you looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Brittany … you will be poor.’”

A room full of students, teachers, principals and parents enjoyed a dinner before the remarks began, and Board of Education Vice President Kim Taylor ushered the evening’s events along. In an interesting technological aside, the event was videostreamed by Robert Bowen and Scott Peritz for the benefit of those who were unable to attend, and while lightheartedness was certainly the order of the evening, the wisdom of the young people being honored was also impressive.

Jay Wong, valedictorian of the class of 2012, brought in a report card from first grade and told how he’d hidden the paper under a bucket in his house because he feared his parents’ reactions to the negative comments therein. He was grateful for the chiding, however, describing the evaluation as the “tough love” he needed to set him on the road to academic success. Wong will attend Yale next fall.

“People may forget what you say and do, but they will always remember how you treat them,” said aspiring poet Kiefer Teurfs, borrowing a sentiment from Maya Angelou in a statement to the three teachers he invited to the celebration.

And Julia Scheinman, who will pursue her music education at Ohio State next year, thanked the man who inspired her love of music, Richard Magnani, her first music teacher. She tearfully recalled being excited to study violin with Magnani, not because of the music, but because she had once seen him in a bunny costume and thought he was brave to wear it to school. After telling that tale, Scheinman added, more seriously, “No energy spent teaching a 9-year-old is energy wasted.”