Speaking From the Heart at Pottstown Graduation

Photo by Evan Brandt

Pottstown High School Class of 2017 Valedictorian MaSofia Sosa, left, and Salutatorian Dylan Brandt after commencement Thursday evening.

Today we continue our tradition of publishing the commencement speeches of Pottstown High School's valedictorian and salutatorian.

This is a particular pleasure to me this year as I know them both, one of them being my son Dylan, this year's Salutatorian.

He and MaSofia have been on the same academic track for a few years now.

Both were in the gifted program (still getting used to talking about their high school careers in the past tense); both took classes at Penn State Berks Campus, a slew of AP classes, an on-line college English class from Brigham Young University and both participated in the TRIP Initiative -- a joint outreach effort of Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University.

Both spent a good part of last summer riding on the train from Norristown to do do real research in Temple science labs and learning how to be better scientists -- an experience they both speak about often.

Photo by Steve Anspach
Dylan and Kenny were the only seniors on this year's tennis team.

So my wife Karen and I had the pleasure of spending time with MaSofia often and she is a smart young woman with a great sense of humor. Pottstown could not ask for a better valedictorian. 

And, perhaps more importantly, she is one of Dylan's best friends.

So the rivalry between them, what there was of it, was very friendly -- so friendly that they were even sharing their final speeches ahead of time looking for pointers from the other.

In the end only about a point separated their final GPAs. 

I'm told by those in the know this was one of the closest years in recent school history in making this decision and I would be remiss without also mentioning Kenil Patel -- "Kenny" to the rest of us -- who crossed the line just a half point behind Dylan, as well as class President Nyles Rome who was close on Kenny's heels.

Photo by Danielle McCoy
Kenil Patel, left, and Nyles Rome, both student members
of the Pottstown School Board, also had GPAs high
enough to be considered for the two top spots.

Kenny and Dylan were both the only seniors on the tennis team this year and both participated in a leadership program at Gettysburg College when they were just out of middle school.

We first got to know him on the ride out to Adams County and have enjoyed his company and his work ethic ever since. 

I will confess I was quite surprised -- pleasantly so -- when I interviewed him about his time as a student member on the school board and lobbying for fairer education funding in Harrisburg recently. His passion and frustration at the unfairness of it boiled up and it was evident he cares for his school and wants the best for it.

As for Nyles, I don't know him well, but I have seen his leadership abilities on the school board and among his peers and, perhaps more than most, he seems to have taken advantage of the opportunities with which he has been presented by Pottstown Schools.

Part of me wanted them to all give speeches as they are all poised to make great contributions to a world that sorely needs thoughtful, educated people. But that was not my decision and I'm glad I didn't have to make it.

But enough reminiscing, here are the speeches, along with video recordings of them for those who didn't have tickets ...

Valedictorian Speech by MaSofia Sosa

Good evening. Teachers, students, parents, relatives, friends, and the Class of 2017, It’s an honor to be here with you all.

MaSofia delivers the Valedictory Address.

I want to start off by thanking everyone who has helped me get this far. Thank you to my family for shaping me to be the person I am today. Thank you to all my teachers and mentors, especially Mr. Benfield, Mme Cherneskie, and Mr. Decker, who’ve put up with me for all 4 years of high school.

Shoutout to all my friends, and my second family: Yuliza, Heather, Dylan, Kim, Ashley, Gia, Courteney, and Zoe. They say that the friends you make in high school aren’t the friends that stick with you forever. So what. If I had to choose a group of people to always be with me, it would be you guys. You have believed in me and encouraged me endlessly when I couldn’t do it myself. You’ve helped me open up and laugh louder and harder than I ever have before.There’s nothing I can say that can sum up how indispensable all of you are to me, except that, if you don’t keep in touch, I swear I will actually hunt you down.

Finally, I thank everyone here for their time.

Now, I address you, Class of 2017.

Look at how we’ve changed. No longer are we tiny kindergartners, antsy middle schoolers, squirrelly freshmen. We have collectively become smarter, more mature, and more confident. Through the years we’ve all cried, laughed, gained and lost friends, experienced the lowest of failures and the loftiest of successes.
Honestly, what could I say, that would do justice for all those years of growth, of hardships, of triumph, of meaning?

And now, many of us look forward to an uncertain future. We come from different walks of life but what unites us today is that same uncertain yet limitless future that is finally here within our grasps. It is now up to us to take this fresh glob of clay, this unchiseled piece of marble, and mold it into a masterpiece, a life of meaning.

Some of you may be wondering: What do I want to do now? Doubtless, all of us have been asked what we wanted to be when we “grow up”. Over the years, our answers to that classic question--dermatologist, scientist, artist, whatever it may be--have changed and evolved at the same pace that we ourselves have evolved. With time comes clarity. Like the rain, time washes away the grit and grime of the mind to reveal deep and profound truths about ourselves. When I was younger, I wanted to study mythology, then become a vet, an artist, and now, an engineer.

Standing here now, with all of you, it’s suddenly become clear to me what it is I want more than anything else… to go home and sleep. For 3… weeks.

Of course, I’m half-joking. Right now, I aspire to be an engineer. If it were to change in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised. To absolutely know what you want to do in high school is exceedingly rare. Many of you likely don’t know--and that’s perfectly fine.
Class of 2017, you do not need to be worried about what lies ahead. Class of 2017, you are resilient, charismatic, and brave.We have sacrificed much and outlasted everything life has thrown at us thus far-- and we came out victorious. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Be proud of who you are.

Class of 2017, if there was one piece of advice I could humbly give to you, it would be to be unafraid to do what makes you happy and proud. To do what makes you capable of looking every morning at that person in the mirror, or into the eyes of the important people in your life and proudly say “Look. I did that.”

For all of us, today is a day we can look proud and say “Look. I did that.”
Let’s celebrate. We’re graduating! It’s finally here! Go out and thank everyone who made this possible.

Sleep, yell, sing, shout, binge-watch netflix and drink all the juice boxes you want. You deserve it.

Remember: History has its eyes on you. Stare back unflinchingly and march fearlessly into a future filled with happiness. Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS TO POTTSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL’S CLASS OF 2017.

Salutatorian Speech by Dylan Brandt

Good evening everyone, let’s say some thank you’s. Firstly, thanks to everyone for coming out.

Thank you to my family, my neighbors, my classmates, everyone out in the audience and anyone who helped me along my way.

Thank you to my parents for waking me up and making sure I’m only a little late to school. In all seriousness, Mom and Dad, you give me the motivation I need to keep going and challenge myself. I appreciate everything you do for me, even if my messy room may not show it.

Dylan at the podium

Now, in preparing for this part of the speech, I tried to list all my teachers, but all I really succeeded in doing, was getting sad and missing them already.

Whether I was learning the days of the week, arguing over every single question I got wrong, or even crying in your classes (yes sometimes from the class itself, Mrs. Mohr I’m sorry Thermochemistry got me), I would not be standing behind this podium if not for my teachers. Each of you is a role model to me in different ways and taught me an incalculable number of things. I don’t know how to adequately thank you for everything you’ve done, so I will go out in the world and try to make good use of your hard work.

And of course, there are my friends. To all whom I call my friend: I love you, you are family to me and always will be. The friends who I have made in my high school years are just that – my family.

I may not have any siblings or Sunday dinners at grandma’s house to look back on, but I have family in all senses of the word. Those who will ask what’s wrong because they care, who will cheer you up when they see you’re down, who you will fight with half the time and want to hug the other half. Is there any better definition of family? A sentiment which I hope every graduate shares tonight.

I have made so many memories in my fourteen years that I will treasure for the rest of my life, be it in Italy, Disneyworld, or right down the street at Lincoln Elementary. So, thank you to my family, both blood and bonded, whether you are in the audience, a member of the class, or out in the world, you will always remain in my heart.

I now speak directly to the members of my class. Congratulations guys, we made it! We too few, who lost a third of our class along the way, are finally at graduation day. I have long admired the unity that I have seen in our class. Despite any petty squabbles or difference of opinion, when it matters, we band together. During spirit week, athletics and in getting our lights back (even though we’re just a little late) we set aside difference and worked together.

This is a trait our country needs now more than ever in its divisive political climate. Our generation is being handed a patch-work world coming apart at the seams, rife with hatred, hunger, and hardship, and it’s ours to fix. We must prove wrong the adults whose favorite past-time is bemoaning our generation, “millennials this, millennials that.”

I’m not asking you all to run for president (except maybe you Emmanuel), or to start a non-profit, but I am asking you to keep doing what you already do. Work together, work hard, be kind, help your neighbor, and we will succeed. I wholeheartedly believe this because I wholeheartedly believe in all of us.

Taking A TRIP Toward a Career in Science

Photos by Evan Brandt

The morning and afternoon session groups of this summer's TRIP Initiative at Temple University were very patient about parents taking photos.

While many of us were cavorting on beaches, mowing lawns or tending to the barbecue over the summer, a group of students from throughout the region were particularly focused on the health of flies.

No, not the kind of flies you shoe away from your lemonade, or scrape off the end of a swatter, but the kind you experiment on for six weeks and then present your results to peers and other scientists.

Dr. Amanda Purdy, right, introduces Pottstown student
MaSofia Sosa as she begins her presentation last week.

It was all part of a program called the TRIP Initiative, which stands for Teen Research Internship Program, a comprehensive science research training program for high school students interested in scientific careers and a collaboration between Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University.

Oh, and by the way, it's free.

Two of the 16 students who took part in the program this summer on Temple's Philadelphia campus were rising Pottstown High School seniors Dylan Brandt (full disclosure: he's my son) and MaSofia Sosa.

All the students, some of whom were as young as 15, conducted their tests on Drosophila melanogaster, also known as common fruit flies, which, the presentations all noted, share 70 percent of their DNA with humans. That makes them useful test subjects for probing theories about how humans would respond to the substances the students tested.

Pottstown High School student Dylan Brandt presents the results
 of his study of the impact of garlic on the health of fruit flies.

The hypotheses tested varied almost as much as the personalities and backgrounds of the students
themselves.

For example, one student tested the impacts of caffeine on male fertility, while another wanted to see if the files are affected by electro-magnetic fields.

One student studied the impacts of sleep deprivation, by keeping a light on the flies 24 hours a day, and another, who told the audience that she uses prescription adderall, wanted to see if the files developed some of the same symptoms she has.

The program, held two half days a week over the course of six weeks, is led by Dr. Amanda Purdy, manager of academic programs and training at Fox Chase Cancer Center and a former adjunct biology professor at Montgomery County Community College.

Pottstown High School engineering teacher Andrew Bachman,

who taught both Brandt and Sosa last year, was on hand for

the final presentations last week.

But the students chosen for the program from among a sizable pool of applicants are chosen by students who participated previously in the program. They review the applications, which include a number of open-ended problem-solving questions, and choose the participants without knowledge of the name, sex, race or home high school of the applicants.

After learning laboratory skills -- how to "sex" and separate flies for example -- the students propose an experiment and, once approved, have to design it to answer the questions posed by their hypothesis.

At the end of the program, each student makes a roughly 15-minute presentation to their fellow students, parents, and several Fox Chase scientists and Temple graduate students who helped in the lab.

Here is some video of Sosa at the start of her presentation:



In addition to describing their experiment, their methods and the conclusions they reached, they also outline their mistakes (my son killed many flies by accident), what they would do differently, and what the results suggests by way of future research.

This is the first year Pottstown students have participated in the TRIP Initiative and Purdy said the program is open to students from any area high school.

You can reach her via e-mail at amanda.purdy@fccc.edu.

Gallery School Needs Your Vote for Livestrong Project Contest

POTTSTOWN -- Voting began yesterday in a contest to help find and fund programs that support families fighting cancer.

And the Gallery School, at Gallery on High, in partnership with Pottstown Memorial Medical Center/Fox Chase Regional Cancer Center is among the national candidates.

The LIVESTRONG® Community Impact Project was created to bring proven cancer support programs to communities across the United States.

Finalists will be determined through an online voting campaign that begins on Wed., Mar. 7 at 10 a.m. Applicants with the top votes per region will receive a financial award of support to replicate and implement a sustainable program dedicated to supporting families fighting cancer.

Finalists will also receive tools and resources from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the organization established in 1997 by the cancer survivor and champion cyclist to serve people living with cancer and empower communities to take action against the world’s leading cause of death.

“We are thrilled and honored to be selected as a candidate for the Community Impact Project,” said Erika Hornberg-Cooper, executive director of the Gallery School of Pottstown.

“We share LIVESTRONG’s passion for inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer and look forward to working together to make a difference in the lives of cancer survivors and their families,” she said.


If selected, The Gallery School of Pottstown in partnership with the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center/Fox Chase Regional Cancer Center will use the awarded funds to expand on the Healing Arts program that is currently offered to cancer patients at the hospital.

In 2010, The Hill School Philanthropy Council provided a $2,100 grant to the Gallery School's Healing Arts program. Pictured above presenting the check are, from left: Erika Hornburg-Cooper, executive director of the Gallery School; Peter Bachich, Hill School Class of 2010, vice-president of the Student Philanthropy Council; Cathy Paretti, director of the Gallery on High; and Greta Witter, Hill School Class of 2010, president of the Student Philanthropy Council.

The Healing Arts program’s focus is on using different art modalities, group discussions, and workshops that utilize mental, physical, and creative exercises to explore the person the patients want to be or used to be in the context of cancer diagnosis and recovery. If awarded the funds we will be able to expand on patient perceptions of well being and lift their spirits, whereby making treatment outcomes more successful.

Click here to cast your vote for the joint Gallery/PMMC/Fox Chase project.


The 2012 Community Impact Project will offer nearly $1.4 million in implementation awards to 90 finalists. This represents the largest number of financial awards LIVESTRONG has granted in a single year in the history of the foundation.

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center

Hundreds of qualified hospitals, cancer centers, universities and non-profits from across the United States applied to be part of four different programs:

 * The Creative Center – Hospital Artist-in-Residence Program: Since its inception in 1994, The Creative Center has been dedicated to bringing the arts to people with cancer and chronic illness through all stages of life as a way to help them discover their own creative resources while meeting the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The Artist-in-Residence program helps cancer survivors deal with the stresses of treatment through artistic expression. The program will work bedside and in small group settings with men, women and children – in oncology units, bone marrow transplant units, intensive care/respiratory units, hospice and palliative care programs.

* LIVESTRONG at the YMCA: LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a research-based program that offers people affected by cancer a safe, supportive environment to participate in physical and social activities focused on strengthening the whole person. Participants work with Y staff trained in supportive cancer care to achieve their goals such as building muscle mass and strength; increasing flexibility and endurance; and improving confidence and self-esteem.

* Advanced Certification for Palliative Care: The Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Palliative Care is designed to set standards and acknowledge hospitals providing state-of-the-art palliative care services that relieve symptoms and stress of serious illness and improve quality of life for patients. The Center to Advance Palliative Care will provide tools and training to 20 hospitals and cancer centers across the country to assist in their efforts to qualify for the Certification.

* Pillars4Life: Pillars4Life is a patient/caregiver support program that has been proven to enhance quality of life for cancer patients and allows hospitals and their social workers to more efficiently triage and attend to the psychosocial needs of a much greater number of patients.

 LIVESTRONG is committed to supporting community organizations in their efforts to help cancer survivors face the challenges and changes that come with cancer and has invested more than $70 million in community-centered organizations.

Voting ends on March 232 at 5 p.m. 

For more information about the LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project and to vote, visit http://vote.livestrong.org/. 

For more information about The Gallery School of Pottstown visit http://www.galleryonhigh.com or about the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center/Fox Chase Regional Cancer Center visit http://www.pottstownmemorial.com.

About the Gallery School of Pottstown is a non-profit community art center. Its mission is to provide a solid educational foundation to youth and adults alike, regardless of income level. The school helps students foster their creativity and develop their talents both for personal enrichment and as a foundation for advanced studies in the arts.

The mission of the Gallery School of Pottstown is to enrich the lives of the residents in the greater Pottstown area through the visual arts, regardless of ethnicity and economic situations. Our goal is to spark creativity, build self-confidence and develop community bonds through education, mentoring and community service.

About LIVESTRONG/Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world's leading cause of death. 

Created as the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, LIVESTRONGis known for its iconic yellow wristband and is a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. 

 Since its inception, the organization has raised $450 million for the fight against cancer. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org.