Trump’s new hire has truly inspired

Hightstown High School Alumnus trumps competition on "The Apprentice"

By: Kip Berman
   HIGHTSTOWN — He was the basketball star who asked his coach permission to dunk.
   He was the towering student who let his diminutive French teacher dance on his feet.
   He was the future Rhodes Scholar who never once tried to show up his teachers.
   And when Randal Pinkett trumped his competition on NBC’s "The Apprentice" and was hired by "The Donald" to supervise the renovation of his Atlantic City casinos, those who knew him as a student at Hightstown High School were hardly surprised. After all, "Randy," as he was known at school, had long been a star.
   "He had a quiet presence," said his history teacher Ken Boardman. "When he did speak, you knew what he was going to say was valuable. … He was incredible. Even if he was 5 feet tall, he would have stood out."
   Randy was closer to 6-foot-4.
   Mr. Boardman went on to say that Donald Trump identified Randy’s greatest and most important strength — namely, that he leads by being a good person.
   "Randy shows that you can be a leader by showing compassion, setting a positive example and following through."
   But despite his significant academic achievements, Randy was far from a one-dimensional student.
   As co-captain of the varsity basketball team, he helped lead the Rams to a 21-5 record his senior year. A star in track and field as well, he tied the school’s high jump record and was named Hightstown High School’s Athlete of the Year in 1989.
   But as much as his physical accomplishments distinguished him, his varsity basketball coach, Ray Clark, was equally impressed by the character of the young man from Twin Rivers.
   "The kid was too good to be true," he said. "You’d always want your own kid to be like him. At an athletics award ceremony, Randy was the only one to single out and thank all the people who brought him to where he is. … He was such a gentleman. He even asked permission to dunk the ball."
   Other teachers echoed the chorus of praise for young Mr. Pinkett.
   "He just did things the right way. He was a leader by example," said Dominic Mastroianni, his junior varsity basketball coach.
   When Mr. Pinkett’s name was mentioned to his English teacher, Dr. Williams, as he hurriedly pushed a television down a school hall this week, he took noticeable pleasure to relate how "Randy was such a polite, well-mannered and all-around first-rate student and young man."
   Among his instructors, such sentiments became routine.
   Donna Ratner, Randy’s 5-foot-1 French teacher, told of how, at a formal she was chaperoning, Randy approached her and asked, "Madame, would you like to dance?" When it soon became apparent that she and her towering pupil proved an ungainly dance team, her partner asked her to "stand on his feet" to compensate for their disproportionate size. Despite standing head, shoulders and then some above his teacher, it was clear to her that his less visible stature was equally impressive.
   Shirley Satterfield, Randy’s guidance counselor at Hightstown, remembered his rare combination of exceptional intelligence and genuine humility.
   "Winning ‘The Apprentice’ is an achievement that will give Randal national recognition, but it doesn’t change who he is," said a joyful Ms. Satterfield. "He’s always been a tremendous human being. … He was always there for others and everything he did came from his heart. He’s an excellent role model for students. I feel so proud."
   To those who watched the reality show, Mr. Pinkett’s professional, academic and athletic accomplishments are well known. He founded a multimillion dollar Newark-based consulting firm, earned five degrees, including a Ph.D. from M.I.T. and a Rhodes Scholarship, and was the captain of Rutgers’ varsity track and field team.
   But what wasn’t visible on the Dec. 15 finale of "The Apprentice" was the lasting impact Randy’s legacy has had on Hightstown students, many of whom were yet to be born when he graduated in 1989.
   Two such students were sophomores Tre Duckett and Jackie Jack, who, with the help of English teacher Lauren Kocur, helped organize an "Apprentice" party to coincide with the airing of the final episode. Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, the gathering was canceled. However, the enthusiasm of these two current students, not to mention the 300 others who planned to attend, is sure proof that Randy’s impact is still being felt in Hightstown’s halls.
   Jackie, who plans to attend college, effused that it was "exciting to see someone come from Hightstown make such a positive contribution in the world."
   Tre, who likewise aspires to higher education and an eventual marketing career, added, "It was such an inspiration to think that he walked in the same halls, sat at the same desks and even learned from some of the same teachers."
   Yet, both students’ admiration isn’t solely based on a hometown connection. It is rooted in a more fundamental appreciation of Mr. Pinkett’s excellent character and work ethic.
   Jackie and Tre saw Mr. Pinkett’s impressive drive and dedication, more than even his academic or intellectual gifts, as his most admirable quality.
   "Anybody can do what he did. It’s just a matter of applying yourself," said Tre. "He went through the same things then that we go through now. It’s not far fetched that we could be just like him someday — it’s just a matter of dedication."
   Indeed, speaking with Jackie and Tre, it’s not too difficult to imagine that someday "The Randal" might be reaching out to another "star" from Hightstown High School.
   
   
Editor’s note: Mr. Pinkett was unavailable for comment during a whirlwind week that included TV appearances on the "Today" show and "Live with Regis and Kelly."