Awards

Commitment to excellence

A Legacy of Honor

MONTICELLO, NY —- Monticello Junior Brendan Devine is frequently featured in The River Reporter for his exploits as a long-distance runner: whether it is representing his high school in cross country, winter track or spring track, as an AAU national class runner or for his races with the Sullivan Striders or the Fulmont Roadrunners Club. His exploits are considerable. On Wednesday, May 30, he won the Section 9, Division 1, 3200m meter title, qualifying him to represent Monticello at the New York State High School Championships on June 8 in Kingston. This will be Devine’s fourth state competition, representing his school in cross country at Queensbury as a sophomore, at Warwick Valley as a junior and, in winter track, at Cornell University this past February, where he finished in eighth place in the 3200m finals.

While celebrating his sectional victory on Thursday, Devine was honored in a way that is far more meaningful, and that reminds us that many of our area athletes are far more than athletes. Devine was one of over 250 Monticello students honored for being on the High School Honor Roll for each of the first three quarters of this school year (he holds a 3.8 cumulative GPA), and one of 51 students inducted into the Monticello Chapter of the National Honor Society. As evidence of his scholarship, leadership, character and service, the hallmarks of the National Honor Society, Devine was introduced with comments on his service as captain of the cross country, winter track and spring track teams, the fact that he has run over 200 road races for charity, his church service as a catechist and choir member and his competitions at Monticello High School in the Quiz Bowl and the Sullivan County Interscholastic League.

There is a bigger story at work here and a legacy worth sharing. Scholarship always has come first in the Devine household. Brendan is the seventh member of his family to be admitted to the National Honor Society. Since he is the youngest, that makes the family seven for seven, a remarkable accomplishment. Brendan’s father Frank was inducted first, along with his younger sister Moureen, at the Thomas A. Edison High School in Elmira Heights, NY in 1971. His mother Debbie was inducted two years later at Corning East High School. Brendan’s oldest brother Terry, who taught and served as an assistant principal at Valley Central for nine years and is now a middle school principal in Elmira Heights, was inducted into the honor society at his father’s alma mater, Edison High, in 1991. The pattern continued as brothers Ian and Kevin were inducted into the Onistagrowan Chapter at Middleburgh High School in 1998 and 2000 respectively. Brendan’s sister Sarah, a 2004 graduate of Monticello High School, was inducted into the Moriah Chapter at Moriah High School in 2003, when her father was principal there.

Brendan is currently being recruited by prestigious colleges from throughout the country. This is partly due to his athletic excellence but, in the words of coaches at the United States Naval Academy, he is worthy of being recruited because his commitment to excellence in the classroom makes him a candidate with whom they can be comfortable. His commitment to leadership and service are sure to carry over to whatever school he chooses.