Recollections of Maria Ressa During our High School Years
It’s not every day my cell phone blows up with texts from family and friends that a friend of mine from high school has been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Yesterday was that once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. You see, I went to Toms River High School North in the eighties with the now world-renowned, Nobel Peace Prize-winning, award-winning journalist, author, speaker and warrior-for-truth-in-journalism, Maria Ressa.
I have been in touch with the current principal of High School North (more on that later), and he emailed me yesterday to ask if I’d like to be interviewed by a local reporter about Maria. I responded yes, and then put some of my thoughts to paper about Maria. The ideas were multiplying, and I couldn’t fall asleep as I kept getting up to write more. An essay was writing itself, so it seemed inevitable that I sit down and write out all of my thoughts and ideas about my high school friend, Maria Ressa.
Maria and I spent our high school years at High School North in Toms River, New Jersey. Although very spread out, Toms River has a small town feel during most of the year. During the summer, folks swarm to the beautiful shore beaches of Seaside, Ortley, and Lavallette. Its claim to fame has always been that the original Amityville Horror movie with James Brolin was filmed there and that, sadly, the chemical company, Ciba-Geigy, dumped toxins into the water for decades and eventually shut down.
In Toms River, it was difficult to be a high school student in the 1980’s. This was because it was a huge district and we were continually split up from classmates as we progressed throughout junior and senior high school. For example, we left eighth grade with about half of our friends going to High School South and the others heading to High School North. When we arrived as freshmen, it was the last year of split sessions. To accommodate all of the students, junior and seniors attended high school early in the morning until noon, and freshmen and sophomores attended school from noon until about 5:30 PM. Even though there were two high schools, North and South were bursting at the seams with what would later be coined the ending years of the baby boomer generation.
As we exited the school buses to start our day at noon, we held our breaths passing students smoking cigarettes outside. Once inside, the hallways were jam packed and students moved at a snail’s pace as the juniors and seniors left the building towards the buses, and the sophomores and freshmen headed toward our homerooms. When we ended our classes it was already dark outside because evening had set in. It seemed like an ominous start to even try to make a dent and an impression, but Maria did, by winning our votes as our class president, a post she would hold for three years.
I should add that during our freshman year, Toms River High School East was under construction. It seemed as though every day in homeroom students who would be attending the new school were given polls to complete: What should our mascot be? Which school colors do you prefer? I must admit I was envious of those students who would get to attend a brand new school, but alas, Maria and I, and many others, were to remain at North. Our sophomore year, High School East opened, and it was the very first time we, as a class, looked at ourselves and each other and could say, “THIS is our class, HS North’s class of 1982.”
Back in high school, Maria was exceptional — excelling in academics, sports, leadership, and the performing arts. I remember thinking about this as a teenager, how is she so good at everything? My thoughts were never jealous, but really in a way that was just in complete awe of her. As Maria and I were both fans of the performing arts, we crossed paths on the stage at chorus concerts and school plays, and I had an eagle eye’s view of her shining in these domains.
Then-principal, Mr. Raymond Ryan was an avid supporter of the arts and we had free rein to express ourselves creatively. If something didn’t exist officially, we created it! As an example, sophomore year I had written the music to an original show called “The Magical Musical” by then-senior Steven Poretskin. There was a small cast and Maria performed in it.
I remember that Maria’s schedule was so full of academic classes, she was given permission to take chorus during her lunch period. During our junior year, Maria was cast as Pappy Yokum in Li’l Abner. She wore a cap and suspenders and changed her voice to sound like an old Southern man. What couldn’t this girl do?
But I most vividly recall Maria performing in The TR Express, which was a small group of students who performed country western music with their orchestra teacher, Mr. Spaulding. Maria would later write a beautiful tribute to Mr. Spaulding about how her musical experience shaped who she is today. I recall Maria singing a beautiful rendition of Dust in the Wind to the student body.
In the leadership domain, Maria was unstoppable and nothing was beneath her. One summer, she called and asked me to help our class raise money for the prom by picking up trash at Six Flags Great Adventure in nearby Jackson, New Jersey. Pick up trash? Really? But even then, Maria was not one to take no for an answer, so off I went with about eight of my classmates to pick up garbage. It was actually fun working together for an important cause.
Most impressive though, was Maria’s academic prowess. Had we had a debate team, Maria would have soared. She was articulate and well-versed in politics, news, and literature. Here was the future journalist growing her wings. I remember in sophomore English, our task was to select an American author, read and analyze about five of his or her works, and then write a term paper. Maria chose a challenging author, Sinclair Lewis, and sank her teeth into heavy and dry novels like Babbitt and Main Street. Maria was a self-learner who would soon come to make her mark as an undergraduate student at Princeton University.
Instead of attending North during my senior year, I elected to begin my freshman year of college at Ocean County College. I lost touch with Maria that year, but a mutual friend of ours, Joe Fung, often popped in to say hello to me while I was working at the Ocean County Mall. Even though I was in college, I was allowed to attend North’s senior prom. Joe and I had been close friends since seventh grade, and I asked him if he’d go to prom with me. “No, I’m going with Maria,” he replied. Again, there were no feelings of envy or resentment. Perfectly understandable, I thought. Maria is awesome! “Have a great time!” I responded. And I meant it.
After high school, many of us lost touch before finding each other again on social media. I had kept abreast of Maria’s career and knew she had worked for CNN and had started Rappler in the Philippines. We watched as she became a warrior for truth as an investigative journalist, and we still continue to pray for her safety. When Maria’s face graced the cover as the 2018 Time Person of the Year, I reached out to administrators at the Toms River School System and asked that Maria receive accolades from her alma mater. Mr. Ed Keller, Principal at Toms River High School North, suggested that she be listed in the Toms River Hall of Fame.
When Maria was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, I reached out to Mr. Keller again and suggested that she be given even greater recognition. Knowing that Maria spent her high school years on North’s stage, I suggested naming the auditorium after her. I also forwarded Maria’s article honoring Mr. Spaulding and explained that Maria never forgot her Toms River roots. Mr. Keller called Maria and told her the auditorium would be named after her. Score!
Ed Keller wrote in his email that so many individuals from Toms River are excited that Maria has won this prestigious award. Yesterday, I caught up with another dear high school friend, Mary Larsen (Guderian) about Maria’s amazing achievement. We giggled as she told me that when she told her co-workers that she is friends with Maria Ressa, this incredible woman who just won the Nobel Peace Prize, she was confident that people probably didn’t believe her. Yeah, sure you know her. Whatever you say, Mary.
When Maria was informed that she would be receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, I heard on a video clip that her response was, “I’m speechless.”
Maria’s friends from high school are in awe and inspired by Maria, a kid from Toms River who became a warrior for truth, democracy, and yes, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
Maria’s tribute to Mr. Spaulding
https://www.rappler.com/voices/rappler-blogs/remembering-teachers-shape-lives-donald-spaulding
Shelley Bromberg (Finkelstein) serves as an adjunct professor of Communications at Montclair State University. She is a graduate of Toms River High School North, Toms River, NJ, Class of 1982.
