BrewsterConnections - Brewster Academy

Alumni News
Hoopla
Continued from page 39
“I was 13 when I
left my family, my
friends, and my
comfort zone and
moved about six
hours away to be
in good company
and received a wellrounded
education.
It would become
one of the most
important decisions
of my life.”
In Good Company
You would be surprised by how much easier it
is to accomplish a dream
When among inspirational people, places, or
things
Our expectations for ourselves grow and
become more detailed
Our friendship and relationships grow in depth
as well.
Bruce wrote me that “one of the major
challenges in writing the book was to
try to incorporate my life into a book,
being as detailed as possible on each
point of transition.” Bruce continued
to brainstorm but had difficulty
starting to write. The idea that the
lottery was an analogy to life broke
a long period of writer’s block, and
the most challenging moment finally
arrived – writing the first word – and
from here he knew that the rest of the
words would come.
I was impressed that a man as young
and busy as Bruce – completing
college and gaining admission to a
prestigious law school – could still
have the time and desire to write a
book. It took me many attempts and
many more years before I was able
to do so, but I didn’t have Bruce’s
desire, his need to repay an important
friend. I asked Bruce if he had always
written so well and so easily and he
replied that he always felt that he was
creative, that he enjoyed poetry, music,
and other art forms. Bruce concludes
each chapter with a poem that circles
back on the meaning of the chapter.
Bruce is quick to point out that
financial profit was not a factor in
his decision to write and publish
131 Box: Path of Purpose and that he
was satisfied in knowing “… that in
my view I made a quality work that
should motivate
others to give their
best.” As the book’s
jacket states, “Many
people speak of
the importance of
leading a purposedriven
life, but
it is not an easy
task for those
who live in abject
poverty.” Bruce
describes how he
forgot to realize his dreams in a world
defined by crime, drugs, death, and a
pervasive sense of hopelessness.
Bruce mentioned to me that he had
attended the private Bethlehem
Baptist Academy in Brooklyn starting
at the age of three. I didn’t make the
connection until much later when I
realized the school is now called The
Trey Whitfield School, in memory
of a member of Brewster’s class of
1989 (see page 6.) With the close
connection between Trey’s parents
and Brewster Academy, Bruce’s
decision to attend Brewster made
sense. When I asked him if he looked
at other schools and why he chose
Brewster, Bruce replied, “I decided
to attend the school because it was
future-oriented, and because of the
computer model, the professional
look of the Brewster students, and the
emphasis on academics, all of which
attracted me to Brewster over other
prep schools.” He continued, “I was
13 when I left my family, my friends,
and my comfort zone and moved
about six hours away to be in good
company and received a well-rounded
education. It would become one of the
most important decisions of my life.”
While Brewster Academy’s campus
was beautiful, Bruce points out that it
was also quiet – almost too quiet. He
was used to hearing ambulances, fire
trucks, police cars, and even gunshots
throughout the night. “There were
noises that penetrated my walls from
upstairs, downstairs, or next door.
The total silence that I experienced at
Brewster actually frightened me for
awhile.”
When asked how he felt as a minority
in a predominately white school of
350 students, Bruce replied that he
fielded many questions concerning
controversial issues such as slavery,
42
BrewsterConnections • Spring 2007