What started as an anonymous letter placed in a Waltham High School teacher's mailbox will end in a pre-game honor at Fenway Park next weekend.
Before graduating this year from Waltham High School, Jessica Landry entered history teacher Derek Vandergrift in the Red Sox Most Valuable Teacher Contest.
The Most Valuable Teacher program is a joint effort by the team and the Massachusetts Teachers Association to recognize outstanding teachers, education support professionals and coaches, according to the Red Sox.
A few days ago, Landry learned her entry had won. She and Vandergrift will be honored at Fenway Park before the Red Sox take on the Orioles July 12.
"I was in school one day and I saw an ad on a computer for the contest. I always loved Mr. Vandergrift and I knew he was a huge Red Sox nut," Landry said. "I wrote a quick reply and then I had to write a 400-word essay on him. Originally I had 600 words and I had to cut it down and it became 399 words. I left it in his mailbox and it didn't say who it was from."
She also mailed a copy of the letter to the Red Sox corporate office.
Until she met Vandergrift, Landry said history had never been one of her favorite subjects.
"It quickly grew on me and became my strongest subject. I found myself glancing at the clock throughout the day hoping it was 1 p.m. It was the only class I didn't dread," the essay reads.
"Mr. V is a teacher that kids hope to see upon their schedule in the fall. Honestly, I don't believe there is one student at Waltham High who has a negative comment about him. Ask them to tell their favorite Mr. V story and they'll have a million. I believe he is so appealing to kids because he is still one at heart."
Vandergrift said it took some detective work for him to figure out who had written the letter, which was signed simply "your favorite student."
"Shortly before graduation this year, an essay turned up in my mailbox. It was one of those things that made the day a lot more special. It was very humbling to read a student's words and that they had taken the time to write this," he said. "After getting over the initial joy, I started to do some detective work to figure out who this was."
Vandergrift said he pored over the letter to find clues.
"Based on a number of details, Jessica came to mind. I stopped in (to an office where she was working at Waltham High) and she kind of smiled," he said. "It was an immediate moment of connection where she knew and I knew and we hugged ... it was a reminder of the privilege to go and teach at Waltham High School."
Earlier this week, Landry said she received a phone call from a Red Sox rep saying her essay had won the contest.
"I really didn't think I had a shot at winning," she said. "A couple days ago I got a call from Kate Dempsey (a community relations liaison) from the Red Sox (corporate office). We'll be given four tickets ... we're so excited."
Landry intends to bring her mother to the game and Vandergrift said he plans to bring his wife.
Vandergrift said he would have been happy just receiving Landry's letter, but is excited about next weekend's game.
"This honor is as much a testament to (Landry) and her writing and her testament as opposed to anything that happened in the classroom, so it's really a shared experience," he said. "I was born in Manchester, N.H. I've been here in New England with the Red Sox all of my life. I was born with the Red Sox and I'll die with the Red Sox ... it really does make for an all-around great experience."
Landry said she had classes with Vandergrift for two years and he is the teacher she will miss the most.
"You don't realize you're learning with him," she said. "The teachers here don't always get the recognition they deserve. I think it's a great idea that the Red Sox are doing this."
Landry said after the summer, she plans on attending Massachusetts Bay Community College, where she will pursue a criminal justice major in hopes of someday becoming a Waltham Police officer.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com.
