Last Wednesday marked Ben Rutan's final meeting with the Regional School Committee. Along with several hundred others, Rutan will join the graduating class of 2013.
For the last two years, Rutan has served as the official student member of the Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee, and the committee thanked him for his commitment.
"Ben is extremely talented and energetic," Superintendent of Schools Charles Gobron said at the meeting, "and has been a tireless worker. He has just made such a commitment to represent the student body. He has been positive and poised with his ability to communicate with students and faculty."
"You've been role models," said Rutan, thanking the committee, "and you bring opinions and get through them critically. You've always listened to the insights of the students and have been receptive to everyday struggles, and help out in any way you can to improve students' lifestyle."
Rutan, as Gobron explained, has invested a great deal of time with the Student Advisory Committee, which is a group of six students who meet with school and district administrators, as well as a School Committee subcommittee, several times a year. Rutan was elected to the committee at the end of freshman year, and then chosen as chairperson for junior and senior year.
"He has organized meetings with school and district administrators, and he has communicated frequently so that all parties can follow through effectively on the agenda items that we have addressed," said Gobron." He has juggled this responsibility with his sports and musical commitments. Ben’s mature and thoughtful responses to School Committee agenda items have been tremendously appreciated by the administrators, teachers, parents, and School Committee members present at the meetings, and we all have heard positive comments from those watching the sessions on cable television."
Rutan is attending UMass Dartmouth in the fall.
"Ben is an exceptional member of the senior class at Algonquin Regional High School," said Gobron. "He truly stands out. His passion for his studies, his engaging and mature manner, and his confidence and poise all contribute to his reputation as an outstanding member of Algonquin’s student body."
With an impressive record, Rutan has excelled in all his classes and has consistently chosen to enroll in the more rigorous courses. Last semester alone, said Gobron, Rutan took four advanced placement classes.
His wide range of interests have led him to involvement with the track team and as a contributor to the Harbinger (the school's paper). He's also a talented singer (as are many other Rutans, we hear) and was chosen for quite a few prominent roles in the school's musicals.
Last spring, Rutan was one of several students in the state who was invited to take part in a lobbying day that was sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. It was held at the State House in Boston.
"Ben’s interest in government and the political process has blossomed from his involvement at the local school committee level to his keen awareness of state, local, and international issues," said Gobron. "Ben’s intellectual curiosity and his desire to excel in whatever he attempts make him an ideal student."