When the powers that be start waxing poetic about how Johnnie can’t read in this town, the Johnnies and Janes who convened yesterday can be excused from the lecture.
About 125 valedictorians from the city’s public high schools gathered at the New York Public Library for the 17th annual Minerva Awards, presented to the city’s best and brightest graduating seniors.
Baseball great Tom Seaver gave the young people eloquent marching orders as they got ready to take firsthand lessons in Real World 101.
“Follow the passion in your heart and it will lead you to what will ultimately make you happy,” the New York Met Hall of Famer said. “It’s not what you do, but the passion you apply to it.”
Thomas Lavino of Staten Island’s New Dorp HS needed little convincing. He’s on his way to the U.S. Naval Academy after earning a 98.9 average.
“I’m going to be leaving in three weeks,” said Lavino, 18, whose grandfather was killed in World War II.
“I’m psyched and pumped up. I always felt very strongly about the ideals of democracy and everyone having to play their part to serve their country as best they can.”
A violinist as well as an athlete, Lavino said he’s ready for the culture shock of boot camp, where a drill instructor will be yelling at him this time next month, saying that no matter what Lavino does, it won’t be good enough.
“It’ll be tough and rigorous,” Lavino conceded. “But I know I’ll succeed.”
Juan Bisino, 18, led the academic pack at the Lower Manhattan Outreach Center in SoHo.
Bisino said he bottomed out at Brooklyn’s Harry Van Arsdale HS before making the trek to the Manhattan school on the advice of friends.
Hard work and the support of his parents helped turn miserable math grades – “They gave me a 40!” – to a respectable 85 average. The next stop, he hopes, is Columbia University, where he plans to major in engineering.
“I want to use my knowledge to help better my country,” said the Dominican Republic native, who is still awaiting acceptance to the Ivy League school.
Anahad O’Connor of the High School for Leadership and Public Service won’t be a rocket scientist. But it’ll be close.
“I’ll be attending Yale University this fall where I will major in chemistry,” he said in a survey. “After college, I plan to study nuclear chemistry in grad school.”