MSSM ceremony full of hope, advice for 45 graduates and audience

LIMESTONE, Maine — Forty-five students graduated from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone on May 26 during a ceremony in which two outgoing staff members — Mathematics Department Chair Lee “Pete” Pederson and Executive Director Luke Shorty — also offered words of advice to students, families, friends, and alumni.

Shorty introduced MSSM Senior Sophie Moore, who gave the student address, applauding her for her academic accomplishments and for joining the soccer team this past fall when when the team was in jeopardy of folding due to low numbers.

Moore, who is headed off to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this fall, used the northern Maine weather, particularly the sky, as a metaphor to describe her time at the school.

During her move-in day, Moore said she remembered the sky more than anything else.

“Its beauty made me optimistic about what was to come,” she said. “Just like us, the Limestone sky is exceptional.”

The summer sky, she said, “mirrors our hopeful hearts as the new school year begins: full of fresh opportunities.”

“After summer ends and the air gets crisp,” Moore continued, “the sky remains exquisite, but now has a cooler, more serious edge. It is time to get down to business as the real work begins.”

With the first snowfall, Moore said comes the “realization that life here will, at times, be difficult, whether that awareness comes in the middle of a problem set or a fight with a friend,” adding that the world can seem “harsh and unforgiving” as it transforms into a “cold, barren landscape.”

“Just when it seems that the coldness will never end,” she said, “the light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of that same blue sky that welcomed us to Limestone at the start of the year.”

The sun, she concluded, “is about to set on our time in Limestone, just as it has so many time before.”

“If there is one thing to take away from our time under that magnificent sky,” Moore said, “it’s that I hope we will always remember lessons it has taught us. Although the world is big and we are small, and at times it may seem dark and daunting, it is also beautiful and we are all capable of more than we ever thought possible.”

The packed auditorium delivered a thunderous applause after Moore’s address, along with a standing ovation.

Before diplomas were handed out, MSSM Board Chair Dr. Jason Judd introduced Pederson, and gave a list of his accomplishments, which include a career spanning 42 years (16 of which were spent at MSSM), and numerous awards including the 1993 Presidential Award in Secondary Mathematics, the 1994 Henneke National Math Team Coach of the Year, the 1996 NASA Educator Award, the 1999 Milken Education Award, the 1999 NASA “Right Stuff” Award, and the 1999 Maine Teacher of the Year Award.

Pederson began by saying that he “had tears” after seeing the 2018 class yearbook dedication. As he spoke, however, he quickly realized that he had left his speech in his mailbox at the school.

Shorty quickly leapt off the stage and ran to grab the speech as audience members laughed and clapped. In the meantime, Pederson ad-libbed an introduction.

“My speech starts by saying good morning,” he paused. “Good morning seniors, board of trustees, parents, grandparents, family and alumni. It is with great pleasure that I’m here today. I’m really excited, and yes, I make mistakes, and you will make mistakes as you go through life.”

Shorty soon ran back through the aisles of the crowded auditorium, proudly displaying the speech as he approached Pederson on the stage, leading to more applause.

The outgoing mathematician began by telling the story of how his departure from a school in Vinalhaven, Maine, led him to MSSM.

At that first school, he said the superintendent gave him an ultimatum: “teach math in the traditional way.” Pederson said this meant teaching all middle school students middle school math courses, all ninth graders Algebra 1, and so on.

“As my seniors now know,” he said, “I told him, bluntly, to go to Hell.”

He said he was presented with some “exciting options” within 48 hours, including teaching positions at Kamehameha High School in Honolulu, Bangor High School, and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics.

His decision to teach at MSSM was not easy to make, and he told the outgoing students that he felt the same way they did when he first arrived, as he had to leave parents, grandparents, family and friends behind and move to a relatively cold and remote town.

As he departed Vinalhaven, he said he wanted to “go back and apologize to the superintendent,” but that he was reminded of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” which emphasizes the advantages, and difficulties, of taking a less traveled path in life.

“Our past anchors to where we are today can be broken, moved, and shifted,” he said, his voice beginning to rise. “Remember, your mindset is your greatest asset. The world is before you. The greatest gap between successful and unsuccessful people is how they think. Each of us can change and influence change. These changes are not going to happen overnight. You will find that these successes become addictive. Set those standards and build on those standards, and you will make a difference.”

Pederson cited the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who recently dealt with a fatal shooting and have led protests against gun violence across the nation, as proof that the Class of 2018’s generation has the strength and determination to change the world.

“I saw the power of what your generation can do,” he said. “I see more changes coming, but change will not happen without your generation standing up to the plate and saying ‘enough is enough, we want change, and we are willing to fight for those changes.’ Make America Great. Not in the past, but in the future.”

He concluded by saying he’s looking forward to retirement, and that the outgoing students can move forward and make change in the world.

“Live a happy life,” he said. “Hug your family. Remember to care for those around you. Go forth and prosper. I love you all and you have made a difference in my life. You can make a difference in future lives. Believe in yourselves and say in touch. Farewell, my friends.”

Pederson’s speech, like Moore’s, earned him a standing ovation.

Once diplomas were handed to the class and Shorty officially declared their status as high school graduates, the departing director gave a short speech emphasizing the importance of maintaining a good sense of humor.

“Life is going to have bumps,” he said, “it will throw wind and waves in your face and try to sink you. The one thing that will buoy you against those waves and wind is a good sense of humor.”

Through humor, Shorty said, it is possible to shift perspectives during trying times, which leads to “happiness and joy.”

“Happiness and joy leads to kindness, which builds trust,” he said, “and trust, along with kindness, actually lead to vulnerability, and it’s a good kind of vulnerability, where you trust your friends and those around you, and feel like they’ve got your back. That vulnerability, believe it or not, is the chain that binds communities together, and there’s a very strong community here at MSSM. Know that wherever you go, you’ll find somebody to stand by you, to have your back. Thank you.”

Before students, alumni, and faculty departed the auditorium for a reception, Shorty said the class song, “Send Me on My Way,” by Rusted Root, also was played during his MSSM graduation in 1997.

“And with that,” he said, “I send you on your way.”