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Volume 13, Number 1 2003/2004   Max Morgensen is currently a eleventh grader at Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine.   Editor's Note: The following article is the text of Max's keynote address at the Third Annual Middle Level Scholar Leader Awards Banquet at the Augusta Civic Center in May 2002. As a ninth grade student, Max addressed the crowd of over four hundred with great poise. Watch for information on the 2004 Middle Level Scholar Leader Awards Banquet on May 26, 2004. Be sure your school participates in this important event.     So scholar leaders in a sense are well-educated, well-informed students who direct and guide their peers to strive for excellence, and achieve perfection.     Respect others and respect yourself; self-realization, determination, and confidence - it all starts inside you.

Scholar-Leaders We're all here today to celebrate and honor 8th grade students from across the state who exemplify the traits of scholar leaders. Every student here demonstrates academic excellence. But also, they show great social skills and awareness, demonstrate acceptance and openness, and prove their excellence outside the classroom and throughout their communities. These are skills that they'll take with them and use, through high school, college and wherever they go in life. When I was asked to write this opener, I really didn't know anything about scholar leaders or even what the term meant. I looked up "scholar" in the dictionary. From Webster's College Dictionary, "scholar" is defined as any student or pupil, or a learned person; a specialist in a particular branch of learning. I also looked up leader. The best definition I found was: "a person or thing that leads; directs, commands, or guides." So scholar leaders in a sense are well-educated, well-informed students who direct and guide their peers to strive for excellence, and achieve perfection. I could leave it at that, but that's not a complete definition of a scholar leader. Someone told me to look beyond the dictionary definition, and to look beyond scholar, to see what each of you has had to do and what each of you has to be to get here. I have a deep respect for every student here. Many students get good grades and some even lead their peers, but few do what you have done. To get here you have had to show commitment to your schoolwork, your education, and academic excellence. You've shown unbreakable effort through the most stressful times and the longest nights and you've improved the quality of learning and life at your schools one classmate at a time, whether you've realized it or not. You have proved to your teachers and administrators that you can make it in and out of the classroom, whether it be through participation in community programs, sports activities, extracurricular activities, or helping others in the time you're not in school. And many of you have also proved your dedication to maintaining tolerance for diversity, and intolerance for discrimination and hatred in your schools. Your integrity, your leadership, and your commitment to improving your school and community have not gone unnoticed. Very soon, you will enter a new stage in life. High school can be a frightening time; a larger school, new people, and a completely different routine. But what you've shown so far has established your distinguished ability and capabilities to survive in this new environment, and to handle the challenges thrown at you. It will be a change and probably a challenge, but that's what makes you stronger. It will prepare you for moving up and facing life head-on. High school will prepare you for college and education beyond that. Soon you will be on your way outside school's protective walls. Each of you has the ability to become anything you want. You've proved that already. Your leadership skills and experience, intelligence, compassion and tolerance for differences, your strength and integrity, your drive for perfection, and your unmovable and upright character will help propel you through a life of success, wealth, and happiness. You are what doctors, and lawyers, and teachers are made of. And for whatever you want to be, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that you can and will do what you set out to do. So move ahead to high school, college and post-college schools, successful jobs, and to an endless life of learning. Always set your goals high and surprise yourself by achieving even higher ones. Respect others and respect yourself; self-realization, determination, and confidence - it all starts inside you. And as you enter a new stage in life, remember your responsibilities as scholar leaders. Show an excellent attitude towards education, show academic initiative, try for good grades, and learn as much as you can. These are the responsibilities of a scholar. As a leader in your schools, you should show support to your school and classmates, become a positive role model for your peers, take responsibilities for yourself and your actions, and influence your peers to succeed as you have. You should all try to improve the civic lives at your schools by working in school programs and student governments. Show leadership skills and respect for yourself and those around you. You should exemplify a positive attitude, be dependable and available, and sacrifice time for others. Volunteer and participate in school activities or other extracurricular activities. And show your unique qualities and outstanding personal character often. So remember this. Remember who you are and what you can become. Your achievements will be countless and your boundaries infinite. The best advice I can give you is to never stop. Don't stop learning. Don't stop trying. All of you are here because you've applied yourselves and learned skills that will help you for the rest of your life. As long as you keep it up, you can only know more, and you can only go higher.   Back to Top