On Tuesday February 24, seniors at Stamford High had the distinct privilege of meeting distinguished, Governor Dannel Malloy, Congressmen Jim Himes, and Mayor David Martin. During a high-profile assembly, the students were able to hear stories of successes and failures from speakers who all hold close ties to SHS and education.

It all started last summer when President of the Stamford High Club “STAG,” Joseph Vukel, and Vice President Zach Geremia jokingly asked Tony Panaro if he knew any congressmen. To Vukel’s surprise, Panaro was actually friends with Senator Blumenthal, and after acquiring Blumenthal’s personal number, the senior assembly began to take shape.

As the politicians filed into the assembly on Tuesday (Blumenthal ended up not being able to make it), each elaborated on the necessity for SHS students to ‘dream big.’ Congressmen Himes asked each student to look within themselves and go for big risks, in an attempt to reach for things even if in the face of failure. Growing up in Lima, Peru, Himes acknowledged the power of government in the everyday lives of all citizens. “A lot of what we take for granted in the US, politically, doesn’t exist there,” he said. Quoting Winston Churchill, he added, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others,” and told students stories of his transition to the US. “You haven’t seen a tough market time until you emerge from a growing country,” remarked Himes.

“No matter how many challenges we face, we are not defined by our challenges unless we let them define us…we are defined by overcoming them”

Similarly, Governor Malloy (former student of SHS from 1970-71), who graduated magna cum laude from Boston College, echoed Himes’ advice. “Life is long… find things that will make you happy for the long run and then add in a professional mix.” He added, “We have an obligation to leave the world a better place than having lived in it. I know SHS was educationally where it all began for me.” For Malloy, his story to success took a bit longer than some of his coworkers. “Growing up, I couldn’t button a shirt, tie a shoe. I wasn’t a successful student through high school but it was the teachers that began to turn the process of education around for me.” Directly addressing students who may have gone down the wrong path at any early age, Malloy said,“No matter how many challenges we face, we are not defined by our challenges unless we let them define us…we are defined by overcoming them,”adding, “Live your life in a way that makes your parents, friends, and school proud. If everyone could do that we would have a far better world.”

At such a critical time in a high school student’s life, the advice on careers and the future was refreshing to most. As the assembly began to drift away from the speakers’ political lives and focus more on the role of students in the community, Martin answered STAG Officer Guan Guo’s question on the growth of Stamford. While Mayor Martin acknowledged the clichéd nature of phrases like, “Kids are the future,” he continued, “Students shape the community directly. It’s within you, make it happen.”

The memorable event cannot be noted without acknowledging the hard work and determination of STAG’s officers. After nearly giving up in December when no date seemed to work for all parties, the officers stayed motivated in scheduling the assembly. Vukel said, “Tuesday’s assembly was about making students realize that no matter their circumstances in life, they too can achieve greatness, one step at a time; it doesn’t come overnight.” On the topic of creating an extracurricular club focused on the principles of business and success, Vukel added, “Success isn’t limited to a select few. If you’re willing to fall down ten times or dare to dream, such a mentality is the foundation of success.” But perhaps Geremia, the VP of STAG, best illustrated the impact the assembly had on students. He remarked, “It allowed me and my peers the ability to see success from an alternative perspective – a perspective that affects each and every one of us on a daily basis.”