This year, I was presented with the “Distinguished Alumni
Award”, one of four honorees for 2012.
One of the other honorees was perhaps my best friend at TIP,
Douglas Arner. We've fallen out of touch over the last few decades, though last I checked he was happily married to a wonderful woman, and splitting his time between Hong Kong and London. Apparently he just had a child, and has written something like 11 books. (Doug, I really wish you had made it over!)
The other two were strangers, but their accomplishments were
impressive enough to impart a healthy dose of Post-cocious syndrome: One is
literally working on a cure for cancer (and received news of achieving an
important milestone the day of our ceremony).
The other works with notable
inventor Dean Kamen helping create next-generation prosthetics and wheelchairs
to help the disabled and combat veterans. And by “works with”, I mean he is
apparently the #2 guy at the company.
Though I arrived very late on Saturday, May 20th,
I was still excited to be there. Waiting at the deserted airport for the rental
car shuttle, I breathed in the cooling evening air. Here I was again. Despite
the long, delay-filled day of travel and no dinner, I found myself cheerful and
calm waiting for my rental car.
My eyes blurry from travel, I managed to find my way from
RDU to the Millennium Hotel, the same place I’d stayed almost exactly a year
ago for the reunion. I parked and slowly carried my bags to the lobby, savoring
the peaceful Spring night.
I caught the end of Saturday Night Live, marveling
at Mick Jagger’s youthful energy while simultaneously thinking perhaps it was
time for him to move on.
At 10:30 am, I blinked awake to my phone ringing. Fumbling
with it, I made plans to meet an old friend and fellow TIP participant for
brunch.
Afterwards, we walked around East campus and caught up, talking about
the past, and where our lives had gotten to in the present, and how we felt
about all that. Throughout, I note how little East campus has changed in the
nearly 30 years I’ve been going there. It’s a long enough cycle of time that
some big old trees have died and been removed, and their young replacements
have grown to similar or greater heights.
That night, I have dinner with some of the TIP staff, including
one wonderful woman who has now retired from the program. Dinner is outside,
viewing the beautiful landscape. The food is tasty and the conversation lively,
but I’m distracted by the birds flying by and the spectacular, luminous pink
sunset.
The day of the ceremony, I put on a suit and tie and try to
look my best. I have a brief lunch with some of the program’s benefactors,
staff, and parents of one of the honorees. Then it’s off to Duke’s basketball
arena.
The ceremony itself seems to fly by. There’s an introductory
speech by TIP’s director, and then a longer keynote by an environmental
scientist. They read Doug’s biography. He couldn’t be here today, between his
teaching commitments and newborn child.
Then the next honoree. He stands and
smiles politely as his biography is read. It sounds pretty impressive. He receives
his award and sits back down.
Then it is my turn. I stand up and smile, trying not to look
too ridiculous. They read my bio. I have no idea if people even know what any
of this stuff I do is.
The next part is a really neat experience. TIP is more than
just a residential summer program. It has a major “recognition” component. 7th grade students who score
higher than 90% of high school juniors on the SAT and ACT can take part in
local events to recognize their achievements and talent.
The top 3% of those students are invited to Duke for the “Grand
Recognition Ceremony”. Me? I’m sitting on stage looking out at them. The
smartest, brightest, most gifted 480 7th graders in the USA.
And then I get to put medals around each of their necks.
One by one, their names are called. They come up on stage
and walk across, and I and the other 2 present honorees take turns draping a
medal on them.
The variety is incredible. There are kids who look like they
are already well into their teens, and some who look much younger. Some are
tall. Some are short. I see boys and girls of every race, color, and creed. One
young woman in full hijab. Some are dressed up perfectly. Some are in t-shirts,
shorts, and flip-flops.
I look every single one in the eye as they approach. I say “Congratulations”,
and sometimes, if inspired, some other bit of wisdom or humor just for them. If
I caught their name, I use it. I shake their hand.
I try as hard as I can to convey how much I mean it. This is
perhaps the first and last time anyone will ever celebrate them like this. To
acknowledge they are different, and special, and that this is in fact, awesome.
Most are awkward and shy. A few have the kind of
self-confidence I still work to cultivate. A few are definitely…different. Most
can’t help but smile a bit, which makes me very happy. One young man tells me “I’m
a big fan of your work.”
Meeting and honoring all these kids takes a while. It’s
tiring, but it’s also fascinating. I feel lucky to have this experience. We
finish the names, and the families begin heading back to their cars or
airports.
A few kids want their picture taken with me. “Did you really
invent Rhapsody?” they ask. I explain that I was just one part of a great team,
but that I did play an important role. They still think it’s cool. A bunch of
families want photos with “the robotics guy”.
They hustle me and the other honorees outside for a few more
photos and an interview. I go last, and try to find a shaded bench in the
sudden 84-degree heat.
I catch a ride back to TIP HQ to collect my rental car. I
say my goodbyes, remove my jacket, and climb into my giant Korean SUV.
I drive
over to East campus. I’m too tired and hot to walk very far, but I do check it
out again and think about how much I’ve learned on this small stretch of
ground.
These days, it’s hard for me to decide what had a greater impact
– being a student or being a teacher. After all this time, I find I am still in
both roles.
Back at the hotel, I change out of my suit into jeans and a
t-shirt. I clear my email and work for several hours, until room service comes.
I put some music on. I look out the window and
watch the trees ripple in the breeze until the night creeps in and erases them from view.
