Baldwin Herald Highlights Alumni Sakiel Ruff and Teacher Christopher Soupios

When Sakiel Ruff moved from New Orleans to Baldwin in the seventh grade, he was a shy yet smart student adjusting to a new community.

That year, he landed in the honors English class of Christopher Soupios, who would go on to teach him throughout high school — and ultimately become the educator Ruff credited for shaping his academic path.

Ruff, who’s now a graduating senior at Cornell University, was named a Merrill Presidential Scholar, one of the school’s highest honors. The award recognizes the top one percent of the senior class not only for academic achievement, but also for leadership and commitment to service.

As part of the program, Ruff was invited to select a teacher who had the most impact on his success — and he chose Soupios. The Baldwin High School English teacher was invited to participate in a special convocation honoring the scholars and their mentors at Cornell in May.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Soupios, who has taught in Baldwin for 20 years, said. “Teaching is a tough job, and you always wonder if you’re making a difference. To hear that someone you taught years ago still remembers the impact you had — that’s something special.”

Soupios recalled that, in the seventh grade honors English class, Ruff delivered a memorable performance of Atticus Finch’s courtroom speech from “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“That was a turning point,” Soupios said. “He was nervous, but he pushed himself and really started coming into his own.”

Later, with Soupios, Ruff took AP seminar, a course that emphasizes research, presentation and real-world problem solving.

“By then, he had grown out of his shell and was thriving,” Soupios said. “He had this deep intellectual curiosity and was always thinking about how to make the world a better place.”

“When I got the notification saying that I received the award, I was very happy and felt fulfilled,” Ruff said of being named a Merrill Presidential Scholar. “I remember seeing upperclassmen receive it and thinking how impressive they were — but I didn’t expect to be one of them. It showed me that I didn’t just get by at Cornell, I excelled.”

He said selecting Soupios as the teacher who had the greatest impact on him was an easy decision.

“He’s the teacher I think of the most,” Ruff said. “In seventh grade, I struggled and almost dropped out of honors. But he sat with me, explained I just needed time to adjust, and told me I could do it. That conversation made all the difference.”

Ruff, whose parents are both Cornell alumni, was active in student government, co-founded student organizations, and completed a thesis on the impact of adjunct faculty in higher education. He plans to attend law school and continue working in public service.

“Taking AP seminar taught me how to present confidently, even when I was nervous,” he said. “That experience became part of who I am. It helped me develop the skills I needed to succeed in college and beyond.”

For Soupios, attending the convocation at Cornell and being recognized alongside educators from across the world was a powerful experience.

“It’s like seeing your own kids succeed,” he said. “You can’t replace that feeling. Other jobs don’t give you that.”

Read the original story online in the Baldwin Herald>>