A Neighbor in the Making

Matthew Dalton, Fred Rogers Scholar, History Major/Secondary Education Minor, Saint Vincent College Class of 2028

“You’ve made this day a special day, by just your being you”

- Fred Rogers

Growing up everyone has the potential to do great things and it all starts with learning. Whether it takes place at home, through a sport, or even just in our everyday lives, we will always learn something new each day. For most of us, much of what we learn will be from our experience in schools. How we learn and grow in our schools is crucial to developing our character and shaping who we want to be, and perhaps one of the best examples of this is Mr. Fred Rogers. While Mr. Rogers is best known for his children’s television show and his dedication to helping society grow, many do not know about his impressive background at Latrobe High School as detailed in the Latrobean Yearbook of 1946.

Senior yearbooks are important to understanding character because they can tell you a lot about a person’s hobbies, pursuits, interests and other passions. After studying some pages from Fred’s Senior yearbook of 1946, it is easy to see how he has become the celebrated man we remember him as today. Among the many accomplishments he has had throughout his life, in High School Fred was a member of National Honor Society, a member of Quill and Scroll club, Editor of the Latrobean, Student Council President, and recognized with the Senior Superlative as “the Leader.” I found it particularly interesting that Mr. Rogers was recognized as “the leader” by his classmates as it meant that in some way, he had a distinction that had set him apart to be recognized by his fellow students. All of the honors from High School that Fred achieved before his career as a television host displayed his natural ability of influencing and inspiring people and they exemplify the remarkable character of Mr. Rogers.

When looking through the Fred Rogers Archive, I wanted something related to Fred’s school years as I am hoping to eventually become a high school teacher. Fred’s yearbook stuck out to me because it shows what he was passionate about in high school. At a young age, Mr. Rogers was capable of doing amazing things before most even recognized it. To me, the accomplishments described in Mr. Rogers’ senior yearbook are an important lesson, that every student I will encounter in my career has the potential to make as big an impact as Fred.

Much of my interest in Fred Rogers and the Fred Rogers Scholars has stemmed from the impact that Fred has had on my community. Growing up in Latrobe, we annually celebrate the contributions that Mr. Rogers has made to our world and the legacy that he has left of the importance of childhood development. In his show, Mr. Rogers is frequently quoted as having said “you’ve made this day special, by just your being you.” What’s inspiring about this is Mr. Rogers had made a special impact on his classmates and students at Latrobe High School by just his being him. The Latrobean Yearbook of 1946 revealed the early beginnings of a student who became a children’s television icon that would immeasurably impact the world with his kind words and caring message. What can be learned from studying Mr. Rogers’ yearbook is that his personality wasn’t just an act for the screen, it was a very special part of him. In short, Mr. Rogers made every day of his life special for those influenced by him just by being himself. In my own life, Mr. Rogers has inspired me to pursue a career in teaching so that I will have the opportunity to help kids discover what is special about them. Through teaching I want to help students learn that they will always have the potential to make a difference like Mr. Rogers, and that all they have to do is make the day special by being themselves.