Saturday, May 12, 2007
ORONO - Erik Perkins said that if he could finish a 12-mile run with a heavy rucksack on his back, he could also handle a demanding academic challenge.
The four-year Army veteran receives his diploma today as valedictorian of the University of Maine's class of 2007 with a 4.0 average. He has a double major in physics and mathematics.
"We are talking about a supreme intellect who is able to connect all the dots related to science and math," UMaine physics Professor Neil Comins said of the Albion native.
Perkins enlisted in the Army after graduating in 1998 from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. Perkins, 26, says the same inner rage that propelled him to the military fueled his intellectual drive as an undergraduate at UMaine.
Recalling his long Army runs, Perkins said, "I learned I could push myself beyond dropping."
He credits high school classmate Kevin Roberge, who is now seeking a master's degree in math, with goading him to take the most challenging physics and math courses at UMaine.
Henry Perkins believes the Army taught his son to channel his internal energy to a good purpose.
"He was always a very bright person, but the Army changed him enough. It made him look at things differently," said the top scholar's father.
After graduation, Perkins heads to the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a goal of obtaining a doctorate in theoretical physics. His long-term goal is to unify general relativity and quantum theory.
Perkins will lead 1,950 graduates in the UMaine class today.
Commencement ceremonies are also scheduled today for other University of Maine System schools, including Augusta, Farmington, Presque Isle, Fort Kent, Machias and the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
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Wonder where the Lefty posters are who like to tell us about how the military is where all the dumb people go because they can't earn a living anywhere else. You know who you are.
Time to try a dish of crow.
Congratulations, Eric. Proud of you.report abuse
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