Last Tuesday was Awards Night at Santa Cruz High. It is a time of celebration and commendation for the hard work and achievements of the senior class who is graduating in a few weeks and heading off to college in the fall. It is also when they award the scholarships. I beamed with pride as Sophia leaped onto the stage to receive hers from the Italian heritage foundation (my Italian mother would be so proud) and I watched with amazement and collective pride at the unbelievable accomplishments of my daughter’s classmates.

There was the recipient of the National Merit Scholarship, a young man who earlier in the year won the international (that’s right, #1 in the whole world) science fair for developing a new method for detecting breast cancer. And the math whiz/track star who got accepted to MIT, but decided to go to Brown instead.

I think the student who made the biggest and lasting impression, was the young man who was awarded several music scholarships. I had never met him, but I got a favorable feel-good vibe every time he bounded up on stage in his retro thin lapel-ed suit and orange high top sneakers to accept his awards. The music teacher, by way of introduction, described him as a passionate lover of music who played several musical instruments and performed in both the school band and orchestra.

Later, over French fries and cokes at the Santa Cruz Diner, when I remarked to Sophia about this young man’s obvious talents, she elaborated, “That’s not all, Mom. He was  also the star of the high school musical. Two weeks ago, on opening night, his mother, after a  10 year battle with breast cancer, died at 2:30 in the morning. And he still went on that night to perform.”

Wow. I still get chills went I think about him. And his mom. What she’s missing, and what a remarkable young man she raised. She would be so proud.