campus news
Announcing the McCartney Scholars Program
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or math faculty member Dan McCartney P’08, ’15, whose unexpected death in January 2020 stunned the Rivers community, “Find the Good” was more than a motto—it was the embodiment of his attitude toward teaching and toward life. Countless students, colleagues, and Rivers families were enriched by Dan’s positivity, energy, and passion for teaching. For the past year, key community members have worked closely with the McCartney family—Dan’s wife, Angela, and their three children, Stephanie ’08, Joe ’15, and Jackie—to create a fitting tribute to his larger-than-life contributions and to keep his spirit alive for future generations of teachers and students. That tribute was announced this winter, in the form of the McCartney Scholars Program. The goal is to build an innovative program of distinction that provides educational opportunities in mathematics for a select group of juniors and seniors. Once the program gets fully underway, sophomores with a passion for math will be eligible to apply for the program; up to six students from each class will be selected to hold the position for their junior and senior years. In an effort to honor Dan’s vision of true scholarship and capture his spirit, this program embraces the word “scholar” in its sense of describing a person dedicated to continuous learning—a person who possesses a healthy dose of humility and a keen awareness of their own limits and areas for improvement. Students chosen as McCartney Scholars will demonstrate a passion for learning, strength in mathematics, confidence, tenacity, composure, enthusiasm, ability to work on a team, analytical skills, and generosity of spirit. The essence of the program will lie in close faculty mentoring and advising, as members of the math department work with the scholars to engage their minds, skills, and hearts around new opportunities and new thinking.
Dan McCartney had a lasting impact on countless Rivers students.
The McCartney Scholar Advisor will create special coursework, provide exposure to practical knowledge, structure individual mentorships with alumni and members of the Rivers community, and oversee student-directed coursework and problem-solving “ Do one thing every projects. day that scares you. Crucially, too, the program requires scholars to give back Do it because it’s the through applying their passion for math to real-world challenges. best way to live your Among other program elements, life. It’s how we grow.” McCartney Scholars will: • Generate enthusiasm for math Da n M c Ca rt n e y by showcasing their special coursework and by mentoring peers and younger students; • Engage our community in dialogue around how mathematics can be used to solve complex problems; • Engage in the iterative process of real-world problem solving by addressing, through their mathematical skills, a specific challenge that affects our Rivers community or the world beyond it; • Model our community culture of curiosity, innovation, strong work ethic, professionalism, and academic excellence that inspires young students and distinguishes our school. The program will be supported by a new endowed fund. Launching the McCartney Scholars Program will require $1 million; to date, more than half of that amount has been raised. If you are interested in contributing, please visit our website, www.rivers. org/mccartney-scholars. In January, the entire Rivers community—students, faculty, alumni, past parents, and others—was invited to watch a special video tribute to Dan. Many felt deeply moved and inspired by the shared personal stories, anecdotes, and memories, reflecting Dan’s leadership, generosity, and exuberance. Former students, past parents, faculty members, and administrators spoke of how Dan cared for each and every student. Said Aidan Keusch ’21, whose voice was one among many, “He told my mom that as long as her kids were at Rivers, he was going to be their guardian angel. No one has ever said anything more meaningful. I knew I had someone here who always had my back.” In the video tribute, Dan has the last word, in footage from a senior banquet speech from 2018. In classic fashion, he exhorted the graduating students to take risks, to get out of their comfort zones: “Do one thing every day that scares you. Do it because it’s the best way to live your life. It’s how we grow.” We look forward to growing this special program to bring Dan’s message to future generations of Rivers students. spr in g 2021
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