Believe in and advocate for themselves, in career or health, Portland television station WCSH sports anchor Lee Goldberg advised Wiscasset Middle High School’s Class of 2022’s ‘‘Top Scholars” and their Mountain Valley Conference counterparts Thursday night, May 12.

The prostate cancer survivor said he knew he felt tired and off a while back and sought tests. It turned out had an infection that stemmed from the surgery for the prostate cancer. If he hadn’t listened to himself and gotten checked, it could have gone septic, he said. As for advocating for his career, he used to show up unannounced with Italian sandwiches at stations where he did not work, asking to see the news director and saying he’d brought lunch. “Anything to differentiate myself ...,” he said.

By band music, lit, red candles and a buffet in Stover Auditorium, WMHS, and the rest of MVC via Zoom from gatherings at their schools, honored their top scholars. WMHS Principal Charles Lomonte said Wiscasset determines its honorees based on a cumulative grade point average of 3.5. Making the grade for Class of 2022 were Mason Davenport, Naomi Wood, Brianna Colson, Jasmine Rego, Ruby Cossaboon and Evan Strong.

Colson, daughter of Michele Colson-Orr and Derek Orr of Wiscasset, plans to study psychology at University of New England and be a pediatrician. 

Cossaboon, daughter of Maggi Cossaboon of Wiscasset, plans to study nursing at University of Maine in Orono and become a registered, traveling nurse.

Davenport, son of Heather and Bill Davenport of Wiscasset, also plans to attend University of Maine in Orono. He plans to study earth and climate science and be an environmental scientist.

Rego, daughter of Cynthia and Mark Rego of Alna, plans to study conservation law enforcement and wildlife biology at Unity College with a goal to be  a biologist/game warden for Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Strong, son of Tara and Isaac Strong of Wiscasset, plans to study engineering at University of Maine in Orono and be an audio engineer.

And Wood, daughter of Terry and Rodney Wood of Augusta, plans to study criminal justice at University of Maine at Fort Kent.

As Wiscasset, last in the alphabetical roll call, neared its turn, Lomonte met with the scholars on the gym floor, in front of the stage. On stage, a screen carried MVC’s Zoom session. And nearby on the gym floor, WMHS educational technician/technology assistant and 2014 Wiscasset High graduate Nate Austin manned the equipment that would send the presentation out to the other schools.

Lomonte said this was the second year schools met separately and announced their scholars to one another via Zoom. There, MVC led the program that included Goldberg’s keynote speech.

Lomonte said he loves the new format. It is much more intimate than when all the MVC schools met at one site, he said. Mammy’s Bakery catered the meal, Lomonte said. Administrative Assistant Cindy Collamore said the school bought the tableful of cheeses, from cranberry cinnamon goat cheese to Cathedral City extra mature English cheddar. To hold the labels, Collamore topped the cheeses with mice figurines the 1981 Wiscasset High graduate got downtown at BIRCH years ago.