A winning combination of intelligence, hard work and inspiring character are surely among the top qualities that brought Belfast, Maine senior Syd Sanders to this moment. Not only has Sanders earned the top spot in his 2020 graduating class, he is likely the first transgender valedictorian in Maine—and quite possibly the first in the country, notes Sanders in a May 4 Bangor Daily News report.
For Sanders, it’s all just about being who he is.
“I have a naturally loud, combative personality, so it’s hard to stay hidden for long,” Sanders told Banger Daily News. “There are lots of conservative people at Belfast. But the thing is, I’ve just gained their respect somehow. I feel that even people who disagree with who I am, they still respect me. I don’t know entirely why. But that’s what happened.”
Explains Bangor Daily News:
“Syd Sanders is an extraordinary person, with a depth of understanding, passion and commitment unusual for someone so young,” [Superintendent Mary Alice McLean] said.
The superintendent reeled off a laundry list of the student’s accomplishments, which include being a member of the school’s gay/straight/trans alliance for all four years, serving as class president for both his junior and senior years, and being selected as the high school’s representative to Boys State — the first transgender student to be so honored. He also worked tirelessly to promote the debate club, served on the city of Belfast’s Climate Change Committee, participated in community theater as an actor and stage manager and helped organize the Belfast Pride Parade.
“Even more important than all these important co-curricular and civic contributions, it is in Syd’s classes that he has emerged as a rock star, modeling a genuine fascination about each of his subjects,” she said. “He has raised the bar for his fellow students, who recognize Syd as exceptional and feel helped by him — especially when it comes to group work.”
English teacher Zach Smith agreed that there is something remarkable about Sanders.
“He’s probably the most undaunted and fearless student I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of him scholastically and also personally. He has a rare kind of determination and integrity.” …
“He’s had a journey, as most kids do,” [his father and Belfast Mayor] Eric Sanders said. “Through perseverance, talent and plain old-fashioned hard work, he’s come out swinging. He’s a great kid … He’s an overachiever. He’s going to burn up the highway. He’s going to do fine in life.”
In the far-off future, Syd Sanders has big dreams. He’d like to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations one day.
“I’m going to work toward it, and hopefully, I’ll get there,” he said.
In the near future, the teen, along with every other American senior, is finishing up his high school career by doing Zoom classes at home and getting ready for a spring without the normal pomp, circumstance and festivities that surround graduation.
“It’s pretty rough. It’s a very lonely way to graduate,” Syd Sanders said. “It’s also really sad because we don’t get to say goodbye to our peers or our teachers. It’s anticlimactic. We all deserve to be celebrated. We’ve all worked so hard.”
These days, though, the teen is an optimist. He knows the pandemic year of 2020 will mark him and every one of his peers — and hopes that some good will come out of it, too.
“On the positive side, I really feel that this is bringing my generation together,” Syd Sanders said. “I’m trying to think of this as a way we can find some solidarity and come together in the future.”
Read the whole Bangor Daily News story here.
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