Andrew Miner talks to a parent after the Cole Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony Tuesday night. Miner was guest speaker.

EGHS Salutatorian Andrew Miner has accomplished things that, taken individually, would have garnered him a certain amount of celebrity. Taken together, however, Miner’s accomplishments over the past four years have earned him something of a following.

It was evident at Tuesday night’s Junior Honor Society induction ceremony at Cole Middle School. Miner was the evening’s guest speaker and, afterward, parents approached to thank him for his speech and to tell him they hoped their sons would turn out like him. One boy asked for Miner’s autograph.

Miner responded with grace – earnestly thanking those who complimented him, demurring on the role-model comment and signing the autograph.

It’s all in a day’s work for the four-year starting quarterback/all state jazz & band musician/musical leading man/High School Heisman Trophy winner/varsity baseball pitcher/national essay award winner/etc.

For all that, Miner is stubbornly normal and seemingly unfazed.

The evening at Cole? It was special, he said, to be back – even if this wasn’t the Cole he attended. (Miner’s was the last class to graduate from the old Cole.)

“This isn’t the building I went to school in but I feel like the spirit of the old Cole still lives on in this building. To see these kids – I like to think I was bigger when I was in the 8th grade, I know I wasn’t – it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago,” he said.

“I’ve felt myself trying to stop and reflect as these things come to a close – the end of football season, the end of baseball season, now the end of my high school career. As much as I try to stop and reflect, and believe me I do, it still sneaks up on me. It’s really hard.”

He won’t have a lot of time to wax nostalgic this summer. In addition to interning with U.S. Rep. James Langevin, Miner will be working to get in shape – he’s going to try to walk on the Harvard football team in August. That’s right – he’s going to Harvard.

“I went up last week to meet with the offensive coordinator about my workouts. I’ve got to get in serious shape. These kids I’m going to be competing with are crazy athletes,” he said.

He’s not sure quite yet what he’ll be studying, but is leaning toward government and public policy. Only partly in jest, he blamed EGHS, saying the classes he took were so good they didn’t help him narrow down the choices.

“Honestly, I say this and nobody believes me, but I’ve really loved every course that I’ve taken. I’ve got to get there and the teachers there won’t be as great as they are here so I’ll probably be like, ‘I don’t really like this course . . . ’

Miner added, “It’s exciting to be going on to new and exciting opportunities. At the same time, it’s sad. I’ll miss my friends, my teammates for as long as I can remember.”