美国国家公共电台 NPR How It All Turned Out: A Kindergarten Story, 13 Years Later

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Today we have an update to a story we first told back in 2004. That September, NPR's Claudio Sanchez set out to document one of the biggest days in a kid's life, the first day of kindergarten.

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MARYANNA MARSENISON: What do you think of your new classroom? This is where you're going to be every day.

SAM MARSENISON: No, no, no, no...

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

That hesitant child was 5-year-old Sam Marsenison. For his parents, too, it was an emotional 1 day filled with hope and anxiety. But they went on with their lives.

MCEVERS: A couple of months ago, Sam's dad sent Claudio a note. Sam was graduating from high school. Here's Claudio with our story.

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MARK STRAUSS: At this time, if there are parents who are in the classrooms, we're going to ask that you please head on home.

CLAUDIO SANCHEZ, BYLINE 2: Thirteen years ago, Paul and Maryanna Marsenison dropped off their son, Sam, at Virginia Shuman Young Elementary for his first day of kindergarten.

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M. MARSENISON: It's a whole new stage in our lives, not just his life. You know, we - we're going to have to help him through this.

SANCHEZ: Letting go was tough. Sam lunged towards Maryanna and wrapped his little arms around her waist, tears rolling down both their faces.

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M. MARSENISON: I just thought I'd - we'd get to stay a little bit longer. I just thought, you know - I just wanted to be there (laughter) just for a little bit longer.

SANCHEZ: Sam's first day as a kindergartener went off without a hitch 3 except that during lunch, Sam could not open his juice.

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M. MARSENISON: Did you drink your juice?

S. MARSENISON: No. I couldn't open it.

No, I don't remember that.

SANCHEZ: That's Sam, now 18. He's grown into a tall, handsome young man with his mother's eyes and olive 4 brown skin. A few weeks ago, he graduated from Fort 5 Lauderdale High School and will soon be off to college. Sam is well aware his parents are anxious again, wondering whether he's ready.

S. MARSENISON: Same as maybe, you know, I guess kindergarten is, yeah. Your parents are letting you go to school by yourself, which is a big step for that age. And I think for being 18, it's also a big step. You know, my parents are sending me across the state to go live by myself.

SANCHEZ: Sam is headed for Tallahassee Community College about 460 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. His grades were not good enough to get into a Florida State, but Sam plans to transfer 6 there assuming 7 he takes his studies seriously and his grades improve. Paul, his dad, has his misgivings 8.

PAUL MARSENISON: I don't have confidence that he's going to take it seriously in the beginning.

M. MARSENISON: I think he will because I think he's done a lot of growing up this past half year.

SANCHEZ: Throughout high school, Paul and Maryanna struggled to get their son to work hard, to think about his future. At one point, Sam talked about joining the military right after graduation.

M. MARSENISON: A year ago, he did not even want to go to college.

P. MARSENISON: I know he could have done a lot better.

SANCHEZ: Sam says he's heard it all before. But like he's told his mom and dad hundreds of times...

S. MARSENISON: I think I'm definitely 9 ready. And I'm, like - I feel confident that I'm going to do well.

SANCHEZ: At Fort Lauderdale High, the few teachers who got to know Sam saw him as an average student not passionate 10 about much except one thing - fishing, especially with his dad.

P. MARSENISON: Not every weekend, but we go quite a bit. And I think that has given him a tremendous 11 amount of self-confidence.

SANCHEZ: Being out on the water builds character, says Paul. It seems it's the one thing that truly bonds 12 Sam and his father - being out on the water together. And that's what Paul says he's going to miss most when Sam, his fishing buddy 13, is gone.

Listening to Paul reminds me of how strongly he felt 13 years ago about raising a fearless, confident child, how important it was, for example, for Sam to learn to ride the school bus by himself. Here's the way Paul put it back then...

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P. MARSENISON: Get him on a bus, you know, and shake him up a little bit and make him think on his feet a little bit.

M. MARSENISON: I can do that for him (laughter).

P. MARSENISON: Yeah, but he's got to get on the bus and make it back home, you know?

SANCHEZ: To this day, Maryanna is still a hand-holder, Paul demanding as always, prodding 14, pushing Sam to be more independent. It's been a tug 15 of war of sorts.

M. MARSENISON: I'm going to cry.

SANCHEZ: With graduation only a couple of hours away, the Marsenison's home is abuzz with aunts and grandparents from out of town. I pulled Sam off to the side to ask him how he's feeling. You know, he says, dad's right.

S. MARSENISON: I could've pushed myself harder, studied more, done better. But I don't feel as if I've let him down, though. I put forth 16 effort.

SANCHEZ: Do you think you have to prove to your dad or to your family that you have a bright future ahead of you?

S. MARSENISON: I don't think I have to prove it to him. I think - it's what I want for myself, so I'll do whatever it takes.

SANCHEZ: Heck, says Sam, I might even work for my dad's construction business someday. I have a feeling Paul would really like that. But first, graduation awaits 17, and Sam needs help with this tie.

S. MARSENISON: I have no idea how to tie a tie. Dad tied it for me, but I don't think he did it very well.

M. MARSENISON: Yeah, so I don't know who helped him.

SANCHEZ: Sam's mom, Maryanna, steps in to help. She still cannot believe her little boy has grown so big so fast. She's trying to keep her emotions in check, reminiscent of how she tried to hold back tears on Sam's first day of kindergarten.

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S. MARSENISON: Mommy's going to be crying.

SANCHEZ: Now, 13 years later...

M. MARSENISON: Yeah, there's going to be tears (laughter). The emotions are the same I think. But I'm more confident because he's a real person now. He's a person, I should say. You know, he's a baby. He was a baby.

S. MARSENISON: They don't want to let me go.

SANCHEZ: How does that feel?

S. MARSENISON: Feels good that (laughter) they'll miss me.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Welcome Fort Lauderdale families. Enjoy the program, and congratulations to your seniors.

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SANCHEZ: Tonight Sam is among the 500 or so students receiving their diploma from Fort Lauderdale High.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Sam Marsenison.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

P. MARSENISON: (Laughter) There he is, walking...

M. MARSENISON: He's accepting it now - yay.

P. MARSENISON: Yeah, very distinguished 18.

SANCHEZ: As Sam walks across the stage, Paul and Maryanna smile. Their 5-year-old, after all, has turned out to be a healthy, happy young man with a good heart, a late bloomer, perhaps, but someone who they believe deep down can and will someday make them even more proud than they are tonight. Claudio Sanchez, NPR News.