Devin had the honor of speaking at his 8th grade promotion on June 12th. He did an incredible job standing side by side with the ASB President and together they spoke to their 8th grade class summing up the last 3 years. There was no lack of emotion on Devin's part as you could feel every bit of his heart in his speech through tears and laughs both. He also received the Ambassadors Award presented by the Vice Principal. Here are a few thoughts from some of Devin's teachers.
Dan Mesa one of our security agents has a this to say, “Devin doesn’t use the cross walk in the mornings and he runs thru traffic, other than that Devin is a fine young man and he represents John Glenn to the fullest.”
· “As a teacher we have the privilege of working with some amazing students and when I think of Devin he is definitely one of the incredible ones. I was a student teacher in Devin's 4th grade class and even though it was an outstanding class in itself Devin still was a star that shone brightly. He was one of those kids you just sit back and watch in awe. He is not only inspiring to his peers but to others around him as well. He engages in higher level thinking conversations but has the unique ability to tailor those conversations to meet the need of his audience. I consider myself privileged to have had the opportunity to have had my teaching experience include Devin. I will always remember him and look forward to watching him continue to succeed through life. I knew then and I know now that he'd make a great President of the United States one day!! You have my vote Devin! Congratulations!”
~Mrs. Greenough (formally known as Ms. Miller)
· Devin was IB before he was even an IB student! As his fourth grade teacher, I had the pleasure of working with Devin at Monroe Elementary. Monroe is not an IB school, but as I am now at an IB school, I can look back at Devin and realize that he is, in fact, a near perfect example of all the attributes that make up an IB student.
Devin demonstrated an inquirer-type mind from day one of his fourth grade year. He strived to know the answers, but more than that, he wanted to know WHY those were the answers. His level of knowledge was inspiring to me. He seemed to pick things up almost instantly. Devin had the ability to communicate with a wide gamut of people; from special needs children to his 4th grade peers to adults in the school. Perhaps Devin’s most outstanding quality is his ability to care for those around him and across the globe. Devin was always the first one to pick up on someone having a bad day and immediately strive to make that person feel better. He would do without so that others could have something. This is a quality that is VERY rare in someone, much less someone in the fourth grade!
~Rob Greenough, Ben Franklin Elementary-Room 501, 4th Grade
· Ms. Graham, his language arts teacher said, “He works hard to get what he earns. Always, every day, Devin has greeted me with a “Good morning” and left in the afternoon with “Have a nice day”. I will miss this because he always has this remarkable good nature. Devin sees things that need doing and just does them. He is always ready to drop what he is doing to help others whether it be to familiarize a new student with the campus, help a teacher, or work with a student on homework. His assignments have been creative, and he is a definite “Risk-taker”. He loves a challenge and always goes for something that is different. He always works to solve situations. Rarely ever complains, because he is able to find the good in something even when it’s difficult or work a solution to make a bad situation better. He is a tremendously good sport, expressive, sensitive, and very well disciplined. He has the poise of a much older person, and would be an outstanding ambassador or liaison between countries.
· Mr. Singer wrote, “Devin exemplifies many qualities of the IB Learners Profile, but I believe his greatest strength is Caring. There was a student in my class who had difficulties at school and at home, and Devin took this student under his wing. He tutored, coached, and mentored this student all year long. He requested a seat next to this student in my class so that he could continue to help the student if needed. Devin is truly an exceptional person with a great heart. He is a credit to John Glenn and the entire IB program.
· Mr. Gubler shared that Devin has a natural curiosity that empowers his creativeness. He takes it upon himself to work either independently or as a team leader to complete a task at hand. If in his creative process he stumbles against an obstacle, he takes it upon himself to overcome the issue so that the project can be completed to its highest possible level.
Ms. Rutledge wrote, “Devin meets, and excels well beyond the highest expectations of any teacher, or adult, and he does it gracefully on the sole foundation of respect. He has learned that school, and life in general, is all about trying your best, building caring relationships and having the courage to take initiative in efforts to promote a positive experience, whatever it maybe, for both himself and all those around him.”
