NCSSM Invitation Acceptance (Prompt #2)

 By Gerry Sherman

[Writing Prompt #2:  Write a story about your personal reasons for applying for the School of Science and Math in February of 1980, and for accepting the invitation in May 1980 to enter the first class.  (Try not to focus on the application process.)  

Describe in action, dialogue, and/or details the reasons that you chose to apply for an unproven public residential STEM-focused high school rather than attending the high school in your own hometown.]

I returned to North Carolina in 1979 to spend the summer at my grandparents’ home in Holly Ridge, a small town 30 miles north of Wilmington and about 5 miles inland from Topsail Beach.  My intention had been to enjoy the summer and then return to Connecticut to complete high school.  In the past, I had spent many years in North Carolina, having attended several grades in both elementary and middle school.  As a result, I still had many friends in the area with whom I’d grown up and fell easily back into old friendships.  Later that summer, I was persuaded by some of my friends to attend a pre-season football camp hosted by Dixon High School.  I knew many of the coaches and players from my participation on previous sport teams, and once again found it easy to fall back into a very familiar and comfortable environment.   At the conclusion of camp, I felt very positive about my future and the opportunities that living in North Carolina could offer.  When the time came for a decision, I decided that North Carolina was the best place for me to be.

My sophomore year at Dixon High School was memorable for a variety of reasons and marked a time in which I felt like I was coming into my own.  I participated on the Football and Track teams and won all-conference honors in Track.  I learned to drive and received my full license upon turning age 16… I also had my license suspended after a few months, but that’s a story for another time.  Academically, I did well in all of my subjects, but I didn’t feel particularly challenged.  My favorite subject had always been math, and I excelled in Algebra I as one of only two sophomores in an otherwise junior/senior class.  The second sophomore was Keith Beasley, who would later join me at NCSSM as a member of the first graduating class and as my first roommate.  Algebra I was the highest math course offered at Dixon, and I was advised that more advanced courses could be available at Jacksonville High School or Coastal Carolina Community College, about 30 miles from my home. 

I had decided at a very young age that I wanted to become a pilot, and over the years this dream evolved into becoming a Navy pilot.  My grandfather was a retired Navy veteran and the most influential person in nurturing this idea.  I had decided to pursue the U.S. Naval Academy as the starting point for my education and career path, and I was focused on the achievements that would form the basis of my application; knowing that a higher-level math would be a necessary component.  In early 1980, my math teacher came to me with an opportunity for a new residential high school that was being created to provide advanced instruction in math and science.  This new school would address my math course availability issue and possibly strengthen my application for the U.S. Naval Academy; however, the program would be primarily academic with very limited sports and located several hours from home without the allowance for personal cars.  On this basis, I supported the idea to move forward with an application but was still uncertain about leaving my friends and family and the present environment in which I was thriving.

Upon being accepted, I spent a great deal of time weighing the decision on whether to leave a personally fulfilling life, or to pursue a path that offered great promise but with great uncertainty.  My grandmother provided the insight that would ultimately be the deciding factor, and words that I will never forget.  She stated that the decision was mine alone and she would support me regardless, but was confident that I would do well on whatever path I chose.  She asked me to consider the possibly regret I might have in declining the offer and reassured me that if I decided to go to NCSSM and found that I wanted to come home, she and my grandfather would come to get me immediately without question.  With that guidance, my decision became infinitely easier and would ultimately prove to be one of the best decisions I ever made.