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35 seniors join ranks of MMI alumni MMI conducted its 122nd commencement exercises on May 22 as seniors were awarded diplomas by Brian G. Lucas ’84, chairman of MMI’s Board of Directors. This year’s graduating class of 35 seniors amassed more than $6.6 million in merit scholarships and awards. The 2014 graduating class also attained an average SAT score of 1787, several hundred points above state and national averages. The Class of 2014’s average ACT score is 26. The commencement address was delivered by Nick Benz, valedictorian of MMI’s Class of 1992 and chief operating officer of
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, the 20th largest brewery in the United States, based in Milton, Delaware. He joined the brewery in 2003 as chief financial officer and is today a partial owner of the company. By the end of this year, he will assume the role of chief executive officer. The year that Benz joined Dogfish Head, the brewery made about 14,000 barrels of beer. This year, the company will make 240,000 barrels. The company has grown to more than 200 employees and recruits employees Nick Benz ’92 holds up a piece of coal during his address to the graduates. nationwide. Dogfish Head makes about 35 different brands of beer, with each type generally available as a bottled product and a draft product. The company distributes its beer in 31 states and the District of Columbia, including all Atlantic and Pacific seaboard states. Dogfish Head has grown from what Benz describes as a “young entrepreneurial company in survival mode” to a company that is on track to reach $100 million in sales this year. Benz encouraged the graduates to pursue a career they love, saying, “Without people making choices because they passionately love their field ... if we didn’t have excellence in social work, the arts, literature or other areas that are less tangible, imagine how much less worth our culture would have.” “Be the best at it. Set a super high standard for yourself and go make it happen. If you don’t enjoy it, someday you’ll wonder, ‘Why am I doing this?’ How you respond to setbacks is also important. You will make some colossal mistakes, but one step back does not mean you can’t pick yourself up, dust yourself off and take two steps forward. That’s what develops resiliency,” he said. During commencement exercises, valedictorian Roger Knittle See COMMENCEMENT, page 5
The MMI Class of 2014
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