By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
WOODLAND — Richard (Ricky) Schmitt, 13, of Woodland has been named the Grade Seven Grand National Champion in the Zaner-Bloser National Hand-writing Competition, meaning that he pretty much has the best cursive out of every seventh-grader in the country.
This is what prize-winning penmenship looks like — Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest Grade Seven Grand National Champion Richard Jensen Schmitt, son of Samantha Gamblin.
While the title comes with trophies, a medal, a $1,250 check and his name bring printed and announced by reporters near and far, the seventh-grader remains quite humble and credits his teachers and family for his successes.
Ricky also credits a mistake he made.
The grand-national-champion winning entry Ricky submitted to his teacher was actually the second draft of the entry, having misplaced the first.
“Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t redone it,” he said.
Re-writing his cursive assignments from scratch is coincidentally, something Ricky’s done since he first started writing, which is one reason his penmanship is so good.
His grandmother Marie Gamblin helped Schmitt learn to write in the same way she taught his mother, Samantha Gamblin.
“My mom used the same method on him that she used on me, saying ‘if I can’t read it, then your teacher can’t read it and if that’s the case, then you’ll have to re-do it. But before you re-do it, the paper’s getting ripped up and you’ll have to start all over,’” Samantha described. So if Marie couldn’t read the homework or report, it had to be done again from scratch.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Richard (Ricky) Schmitt of Woodland was recently named the Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest Grade Seven Grand National Champion. Ricky is the son of Samantha Gamblin, at right, and the grandson of Melvin and Marie Gamblin.
Resultantly, Ricky learned at an early age to write legibly.
“He’s an honor student — I wanted the teachers to be able to see his answers,” Samantha said.
Seventh-grade teacher at the Woodland School, David Sterris, who’s been teaching the Woodchucks for 37 years, has had no problems reading Ricky’s writing. Sterris also had Ricky’s mom as a student in his class back in the day, and recalled that her penmanship was pretty good as well.
Cursive and handwriting in general is pretty important to Sterris — “probably because I’m from the old school,” he said — and Ricky’s cursive has been solid throughout his time in Sterris’ class.
Like many middle school students, Samantha says that Ricky frequently rushes to be first “like being the first one on the bus, that’s a big thing in our house,” she said.
But when it came to submitting the grand-national-winning entry, Ricky took his time and it paid off.
“So the bigger lesson he’s learned pertains to everything,” Samantha said.
“I’m very proud of Richard,” said Principal at the Woodland School Susie Schloeman. “We believe that handwriting is an invaluable skill that is critical to developing literacy and leads to academic and career success.”
Academic success is something Ricky’s been frequently earning, receiving pretty much straight A’s as an honor student. He’s also a member of the math team.
Samantha told her son the night that he won states that if this was as far as he got in the contest, she’d be very proud of him. Then when they got word that he made nationals, they were all clearly even more excited “but again, I told him that if this was where it stopped, I’ll still be very proud of him no matter what,” Samantha said.
“So as a single parent, yes I am very proud of him and I have my mom and dad to thank for helping bring my kids to where they today,” she added.
Ricky’s peers are pretty excited for him as well; during a school-wide assembly on May 18, Ricky was presented with his plaques, trophies, certificates and, of course, his prize money while the audience cheered. Even after the assembly concluded his classmates continued congratulating the seventh-grade King of Cursive, and many have been asking him what he’s going to do with his new funds.
“I plan to put away $1,000 for college and the other $250 will be used as fun money,” Ricky said, though his mom suggested that all the money be put toward college. Ricky doesn’t know what he wants to go to college for just yet, but he knows he’s pretty excited to go.
He also said that he’s been pretty honored to have met so many people, like Superintendent of School Union 122 John Hedman, representatives of the congressional delegates, members of the WAGM TV crew and the reporter with the Bangor Daily News. Showing that he appreciated their time, Ricky made sure that everyone got a piece of the celebratory chocolate cake that was baked in his honor.
When asked what his favorite part has been in being named the Grand National Winner, Ricky couldn’t decide.
“Everything,” he said.