2023 Excellence Magazine

EXCELLENCE Colleges and Universities

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University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

University of Pennsylvania (2)

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Celebrating our graduates!

Rye Country Day School recognized students in the twelfth, eighth, and fourth grades during three festive graduations. Read about these milestone events on page 2.

Members of Rye Country Day School’s Class of 2023 are attending the following

The Rye Country Day Class of 2023 was recognized during the School’s 154th Graduation Exercises on June 9, 2023. The ceremony, which was held in the Scott A. Nelson Athletic Center, featured remarks from Student Body President Tyler Moyer ’23, Senior Class President Adam Kern ’23, Senior Class Vice President Braden Bass ’23, Head of School Randall Dunn, and Upper School Principal Peter Quagliaroli. The Upper School Concert Choir and a capella group the WildScats also performed. Dylan Mentzer ’23 introduced her grandmother, the Honorable Judge Judith Sheindlin (GP ’18, ’23), as the event’s special guest who provided words of wisdom to the graduating class.

Judge Judy praised the graduates and urged them to always be true to themselves, to seize the day, and to become personal champions of solutions. The memorable words of wisdom she offered included, “Whatever you do, give it your best effort. Your standard has to be your personal best” and “Let no one but you define you.” She closed her remarks sharing, “Life is a wonderful journey—take it from me. Your education at Rye Country Day prepared you for the adventure. Enjoy the ride and carpe diem.”

A NEW TRADITION

Concluding his first year at the helm of RCDS, Head of School Randall Dunn congratulated the graduates and shared, “This is an especially meaningful moment for me, too, as you are my first graduating class at RCDS. I look forward to following your progress in college and beyond, and you will always have a very special place in my heart.”

Commending the graduates’ outstanding careers at Rye Country Day, Mr. Dunn said, “At RCDS, you have acquired knowledge and values that will serve you well. You are critical and creative thinkers. You respect and appreciate differences. You collaborate easily with others. You embody the motto, Not for Self, but for Service. Our world needs your minds and your hearts.”

Mr. Dunn closed his remarks with a call to action and an expression of pride and gratitude. “Go forth—and make this world a better place. Your teachers, families, friends, and I will be cheering you on from the sidelines—today, and for years to come. Thank you, graduates, for all the joy and excellence you’ve brought to this campus. This will always be your second home.”

This year was particularly special for this set of Rye Country Day graduates, who requested to march and receive their diplomas wearing academic regalia. During the discussion around the time-honored academic ritual of donning caps and gowns, Mr. Dunn shared with the RCDS community, “All of us at RCDS hold dear the tradition of academic excellence, and Upper School graduation is the crowning achievement for our students who have navigated a rigorous curriculum with integrity, curiosity, and admirable commitment.” He also thanked the students who brought him the request for their “cogent thoughts on the topic, which increased [his] already-high regard for graduation regalia for faculty and students.”

graduation attire, which also included two previous classes (2020 and 2022), resulted in both students and faculty

their academic accomplishments.

The collaborative conversation about

donning their regalia in a joint tribute to

Twelfth graders, their families, and Upper School faculty and staff gathered for the Senior BBQ on June 6.

At the Blue & Gold Dinner on May 31, the Class of 2023 was officially welcomed into the RCDS Alumni Association.

Head of School Randall Dunn

Judge Judith Sheindlin

Braden Bass

Adam Kern

Tyler Moyer

UPPER SCHOOL

GRADUATION

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADUATION

On Wednesday, June 7, RCDS honored the eighth-grade Class of 2027 at Middle School Graduation. The ceremony featured remarks from Interim Middle School Principal Betsy Stedman, Head of School Randall Dunn, and Class Speaker Ella Schwalbe ’27. Incoming

Student Body President David Colin ’24 also welcomed the class to the RCDS Upper School, and the eighth-grade choir sang I’ll Always Remember You. Congratulations to our newest Upper Schoolers!

Ella Schwalbe

David Colin

Interim Middle School Principal Betsy Stedman

GRADE 4 MOVING-UP CEREMONY

On Tuesday, June 6, fourth graders moved up to the Middle School! The ceremony included remarks from Lower School Principal Dr. Stacey Sotirhos, Head of School Randall Dunn, and Class Speakers Carson G. ’31, Colson M. ’31, and Maëlle R. ’31. In addition, each fourth-grade class recited a poem they wrote together. The fourth graders were especially pleased when Mr. Dunn surprised them with his own original poem honoring each and every one of them! Congratulations, Class of 2031!

*Students who are in the RCDS Middle School at the time of publication are listed with their first names and last initials.

Colson M.

Lower School Principal Dr. Stacey Sotirhos

Carson G.

Head of School Randall Dunn

Maëlle R.

2023 PRIZE DAY

Rye Country Day School’s Prize Day ceremony was held on June 5, 2023. We were thrilled to recognize our winners for their outstanding achievements throughout the 2022-23 school year. Congratulations to all!

UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS

ALUMNI PRIZE

The School’s highest honor, awarded to seniors who have made the most outstanding contribution to the life of the School.

William Mahoney ’23

Sydney Merrill ’23

HEAD OF SCHOOL'S PRIZE

Given to students who model leadership, courage, or academic excellence.

Adé Larsen ’23

Rohan Malik ’23

PARENTS ASSOCIATION PRIZE

Awarded in recognition of exemplary personal growth and service to others.

Lauren Kim ’23

Elizabeth Lee ’23

Tyler Moyer ’23

JAMES P. GODFREY ’95 AWARD

Presented to that student who has performed significant service on behalf of others.

Sofia Castañeda ’24

Jane Saltz ’24

CHRISTINE NELSON ’80 AWARD

Presented to tenth graders in recognition of outstanding citizenship.

Blake James ’25

Emily Cheigh ’25

MARY ANN REICHHARDT MEMORIAL AWARD

In memory of the School’s former Director of College Counseling. Given to a senior for a combination of outstanding academics and contributions to the School.

Tatiana Leonard ’23

GRETCHEN PULVERMANN ’30 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Given to an accomplished senior who will study performing arts in college.

Olivia Craig ’23

WILL MCCURDY ’05 AWARD

Presented in recognition of courage, character, and commitment.

Gracie Agulay ’23

Aveer Pandey ’23

SENIOR DEANS’ AWARD

Awarded to seniors who have made an outstanding contribution to their class and to the School during their senior year.

Bella Andrade ’23

Ricardo Coates ’23

Adam Kern ’23

CLASS OF 2008 AWARD

Given to ninth graders who have had the most positive influence in and outside of the classroom, noting their enthusiasm and dedication to school work and extracurricular activities.

Nola Coady ’26

Arav Ramaswamy ’26

DENNIS PARKER ’73 PRIZE

Given to a senior who has made the school community more inclusive by celebrating diversity, raising awareness about issues of equity and social justice, and inspiring others to recognize the humanity of all people.

Makayla Blake ’23

Olivia Craig ’23

STEAM AWARD

Presented to seniors who actively promote and inspire collaboration and display passion for design and creativity within the STEAM program.

Aadi Bhattacharya ’23

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Awarded to students who best exemplify the School’s sustainability initiative by seeking an understanding of the world around us, creating an atmosphere of environmental awareness, and promoting responsible stewardship of our planet.

Avery Smith ’23

Liana Talpins ’23

LOWER HUDSON COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS AWARD

Given by the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents to two seniors for high academic achievement.

Sabrina Fang ’23

Benjamin Mathias ’23

THE GLEN ROBERTSON AWARD (for Faculty)

Charles Sliter

Upper School Humanities Teacher

Awards continued on page 9

ALUMNI PRIZE RECIPIENTS

By Lori Ferguson

The Alumni Prize is the School’s highest honor, and it is awarded to seniors who have made the most outstanding contribution to the life of the School.

William Mahoney ’23

When William (Will) Mahoney was a child, his grandfather gave him a piece of advice that he carries with him to this day. “He told me that humility and empathy are the only two things you need,” Will recalls. Empathy, Will says, is a quality that’s particularly resonant. “When you put yourself in someone else’s shoes, it’s easier to relate to them and work with them,” he observes. “And we need it today more than ever.”

Will has embraced these qualities throughout his young life, including his years at RCDS, which began in sixth grade. He is lauded by fellow students and faculty as both an exceptional student and extraordinarily caring classmate and has distinguished himself both in and out of the classroom.

At RCDS, Will amassed an impressive transcript, marked by exemplary grades in subjects from history to STEM and further enhanced by special awards including the Cornelius Tacitus Prize for excellence in and love for the study of history and the University of Pennsylvania Book Award, given to the junior exhibiting academic excellence coupled with extraordinary service to the community or school. In his senior year, he was awarded a National Merit Scholarship and published in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Journal of Future Economists alongside Archer Pil ’23, Shaurya Grover ’25, and Adam Kern ’23, after their team won 2023 High School Fed Challenge, which gives students an opportunity to develop skills in teamwork, research, data literacy, and analytical writing.

Will also made a name for himself as a teacher and mentor in such roles as captain of the fencing team, head of the Boys Mentoring Group, and a peer leader. “Teachers have been a big force in my life, so I like to give back in this way,” he demurs.

Will admits he never imagined he’d be one of the students stepping onstage to accept the Alumni Prize. “I tend to keep my head down and do my own thing, so I was very surprised to hear my name called, but I am very grateful and humbled to have been chosen. As a freshman, I remember seeing that year’s seniors accept their awards and acknowledging their impact on me—I’m honored to be in that position now.”

Indeed, Will says it is these accomplished classmates and generous faculty members he will miss most about RCDS. “It’s been wonderful to be surrounded by people who are smarter than me and be able to soak in their knowledge and experience,” he observes. “I’ve also loved being able to drop into a teacher’s office and converse freely. Attending Rye Country Day has been a wonderful experience.”

In the fall, Will matriculates at Yale University where he plans to pursue studies in the humanities or social sciences. “I’m thinking about pursuing a teaching career or attending law school, but I’m not sure yet,” he admits. Wherever he goes, however, Will intends to continue spreading kindness. “At RCDS, I witnessed the power inherent in little acts of kindness—saying hello, giving a smile, asking how someone is doing,” he concludes. “A friendly face goes a long way.”

Sydney Merrill ’23

Sydney Merrill will be the first to admit it…she has an insatiable curiosity and a deep passion for problem solving. Her inquisitiveness and ingenuity propelled Sydney through an illustrious eight-year run at RCDS where she challenged herself academically wherever possible. Enrolling in numerous AP classes—Calculus BC, AP Physics, and Honors English Seminar, among others—Sydney excelled at every turn. Such achievements earned her recognition as a Presidential Scholar Candidate and National Merit Semi-Finalist in her senior year.

Sydney’s zest for learning new things has extended beyond the classroom throughout her life. Since the age 13, she has studied Taekwondo, rising to the level of black belt; learned basic Korean through self-guided study; and taught herself to build complex 3D puzzle boxes. An avid soccer player since age four, Sydney captained the RCDS team and joined an assortment of all-star soccer teams to gain exposure to varied skill sets and coaching styles. “I love the game—it helped me get to know classmates I wouldn’t otherwise have met, and it taught me about different types of people,” she observes.

Particularly aware of the importance of inclusive communities, Sydney further expanded her knowledge of and connection to others through active involvement in Upper School clubs, including the Asian-American Pacific Island Club and the Gender Sexuality Alliance. Adding to her quiver of varied interests, Sydney was a diligent behind-the-scenes theater tech, earning a Metro Award Nomination for Outstanding Student Technical Achievement alongside fellow seniors Olivia Craig ’23 and Tati Leonard ’23, for their work on the Upper School’s production of The Addams Family.

Sydney is grateful for all she learned at Rye Country Day, but says it is the meaningful relationships that she formed at the School that make it such a special place. “My friend group is amazing. Many of us are going to school in the Boston area and I know we’ll continue to meet up,” she enthuses.

Sydney matriculates at Brown University this fall, perhaps to pursue an engineering degree, though she is keeping her options open. “I’ve signed up for an introductory engineering course, but I am also taking introduction to linguistics, a dance class, and a course in American Sign Language. So, we’ll see where things go,” she says with an eager chuckle.

“I’ve always been a curious person; when something interests me, I really get into it,” Sydney observes. For example, when a topic captures her imagination, she devotes hours to watching YouTube expert tutorials and combing through graduate-level textbooks and scientific articles to learn more. “My time at RCDS has taught me to work hard at whatever you believe is important,” she concludes. “That way, you will have a variety of opportunities in the future.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL’S PRIZE RECIPIENTS

By Lori Ferguson

The Head of School’s Prize is given to students who model leadership, courage, or academic excellence.

Adé Larsen ’23

Whether dealing with STEM or stems, Adé Larsen is widely recognized as a student who brings a keen intellect and boundless energy to everything he does. A self-described “Afro-Caribbean bioenthusiast,” this St. Croix native says he is guided by a strong desire to share the attributes of his homeland wherever he goes.

“St. Croix is a beautiful, biodiverse environment where everyone is kind and welcoming,” he explains. “It’s my mission to build a community here like I enjoyed there.” By all accounts, Adé did just that during his eight years at Rye Country Day. Widely recognized for his warm and welcoming manner, as well as a “truly interdisciplinary mindset,” Adé amassed an exceptional academic record at the School, graduating with seven Honors/ Advanced courses, twelve APs, three post-AP courses in multivariable calculus, and two years of Honors English Seminar. But it is the sciences that truly have his heart. “Science and math opened up how I see and explore the world,” he says.

Adé is equally enthusiastic about his extracurricular activities, which range from theater and sailing to environmental activism. “The arts are an essential part of my life,” he observes. “Entertaining others makes me happy, and performing before a live audience has taught me not to be afraid to stand up to nerve wracking challenges.” This passion was recognized with a Metro Award Nomination for his Outstanding Acting Performance by a Male-identifying Performer for his performance as Gomez in the Upper School’s production of The Addams Family. Sailing is another favored activity for Adé, who served as team captain his senior year. “I’m an inclusive leader,” he avers. “I don’t like to leave anyone behind—I want everyone to learn and grow.”

Growth is particularly relevant to Adé’s environmental activism, which he honed as a 2022 Community Engagement Fellow partnering with Our New Way Garden (ONWG), a local community garden that promotes food sustainability. “I love the garden project because it allowed me to apply my academic knowledge to a real-world problem,” he explains. His project entailed volunteer day coordination and reaching out to local restaurants to explore building partnerships to include locally grown vegetables on their menus. In addition to helping ONWG with their revenue and volunteer pipelines, Adé was pleased that the project dovetailed with his future ambitions. “The opportunity to grow and distribute organic fresh food fits in well with my larger interests in preventative medicine.”

This fall, Adé will pursue these interests in earnest as a pre-med major at MIT. “My goal is to obtain dual degrees in medicine and business,” he says. “I want to become a doctor who can influence or even change the system by approaching medicine in a more holistic way—my driving concern will always be the health and best interests of patients.”

Adé confesses he was both shocked and gratified to hear his name announced as a Head of School’s Prize winner. “I am so honored. It’s wonderful to be appreciated and understood by the RCDS community— I feel like the person I am has been seen.”

Rohan Malik ’23

Rohan Malik has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge—an RCDS faculty member described them as “an intellectual powerhouse of the highest order.” Above academic achievement, the human aspects of the learning equation most excite them. “I love using math and science to solve human problems,” explains Rohan, “and a lot of what makes science so cool to me is the human side of it.”

A member of the Rye Country Day community since seventh grade, Rohan took academic excellence to new heights, earning 16 A+ grades in subjects across the curriculum and acing over a dozen AP exams. In their senior year alone, Rohan qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, received a National Merit Scholarship, was named a Presidential Scholar Candidate, was on the team that won the Soil and Land Use Category at the 2023 Westchester County Regional Envirothon Competition, and had an impressive showing at the Westchester-Putnam Interscholastic Math League Competition, among many other honors.

Excellence is the standard outside the classroom as well for this gifted pianist, who has risen to the highest levels of New York State School Music Association competition. “Music is an emotional outlet for me,” Rohan shares. “I have a stutter, and music allows me to give form to emotions that I can’t communicate through speech.”

Given such impressive accomplishments, the selection as a Head of School Prize winner seems natural, yet Rohan acknowledges the honor with characteristic humility. “I’m just glad that I’ve been able to do so many things for Rye Country Day.”

Rohan will attend Yale this fall and plans to study computer science with a keen focus on its application. “I hope to study computer science with rigor, embracing mathematics, but I’m also interested in exploring how computational tools can be applied to other subjects such as biology, linguistics, and urban planning.”

Community-based activities will also figure largely in Rohan’s college life. “I want to be involved in the social justice scene as I have been at RCDS.” From actively contributing to the efforts of the Asian-American Pacific Islanders Club to attending NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference, Rohan leaned into working to expand connection and inclusion in the RCDS community.

And Rohan will make time for new friends. “It’s important to satisfy your intellectual curiosity and seek to make an impact, but one must also remember that you can’t do everything. Just being with friends is important, too.” Indeed, it is the friendships formed at Rye Country Day that Rohan will cherish. “The people are the best part of the School,” they assert. “My close friends have tangibly changed me. I’ve become a better person because of the faculty mentors and friends I’ve had here.”

DEPARTMENT AWARDS ART

LELIA CARTER BIRRELL ’68 AWARD

Ruth Zhao ’23

ATHLETICS

FAA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Benjamin Mathias ’23

Isabel Slippen ’23

THE RICHARD LE MAIRE ’63 AWARD

Presented to the senior boy who has contributed most to the School’s athletic program.

AJ Pisacano ’23

THE MARY BORTON TROPHY

Presented to the senior girl who has contributed most to the School’s athletic program.

Leigh Smith ’23

SCOTT A. NELSON SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD

Recognizes that senior student-athlete whose passion for athletics, combined with their commitment to academics, strengthens their team, their class, and the entire RCDS community.

Isabel Slippen ’23

Jeffrey Wang ’23

CLASSICS

CLASSICS AWARD

Victoria Medow ’23

LATIN AWARD

William Mahoney ’23

PRIZE

DAY

Continued from page 6

UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS

COMPUTER SCIENCE

COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARD

Aadi Bhattacharya ’23

COMPUTER SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Apolline Weinstein ’24

DRAMA & DANCE

V. JANET LOTT SPIRIT OF THE THEATRE AWARD

Given to students who have contributed most onstage to the School’s drama program.

M Bremer ’23

GLEN ROBERTSON MEMORIAL AWARD

Given to students who have contributed most backstage to the School’s drama program.

Sydney Merrill ’23

DANCE AWARD

Presented to students who have contributed most to the School’s dance program.

Carter Appleyard ’23

Anya Khemlani ’23

Lauren Kim ’23

ENGLISH

SOPHOMORE ENGLISH AWARD

Julia Kroin ’25

SENIOR ENGLISH AWARD

Elizabeth Lee ’23

CREATIVE WRITING AWARD

Cleo Saltz ’24

HUMANITIES

JOSHUA BENNETT ’06 HUMANITIES AWARD

Nicholas Neshovski ’23

Natalie Shin ’23

CORNELIUS TACITUS PRIZE

Presented to juniors who have excelled in the study of humanities.

Katherine Burdick ’24

Casey Wu ’24

MATHEMATICS

JUNIOR MATHEMATICS AWARD

Max Garcia-Tunon ’24

SENIOR MATHEMATICS AWARD

Rohan Malik ’23

ROBERT REESER MEMORIAL AWARD

Awarded to the senior who has displayed a growing interest and talent in math over the years.

Theodore Price ’23

MODERN LANGUAGES

CHINESE AWARD

Dylan Mentzer ’23

FRENCH AWARD

Felix Dosmond ’23

SPANISH AWARD

Julia Marrinan ’23

MODERN LANGUAGES AWARD

Kyle Sisitsky ’25

MUSIC

CHORAL AWARD

Andrew Cheigh ’23

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA AWARD

Ruth Zhao ’23

MUSIC AWARD

Lolly Kim ’23

ORCHESTRA AWARD

Emilie Ward ’23

NATURAL SCIENCES

SENIOR SCIENCE AWARD

Bella Andrade ’23

Zachary Ben-Meir ’23

UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS

BROWN UNIVERSITY

BOOK AWARDS

Donna Zhang ’24

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

Jack de Haan ’24

HARVARD COLLEGE

Alexa Kim ’24

THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY ALUMNI

Aidan McIntosh ’24

THE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

David Colin ’24

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Brynn Coady ’24

YALE UNIVERSITY

Katia Ohmacht ’24

ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOLARS

86 AP SCHOLARS

WITH DISTINCTION

Students who received an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Celestiel Grace Agulay ’23

Bella Andrade ’23

Rahul Arora ’25

Zachary Ben-Meir ’23

Aadi Bhattacharya ’23

Makayla Blake ’23

Rhodes Boester ’24

Ronen Borkar ’23

Sean Bremer ’23

Sofía Castañeda ’24

Ellen Chen ’24

David Colin ’24

Edward Coristine ’24

Connor Davidson ’24

Jack de Haan ’24

Eileen Deng ’23

Jaymin Ding ’25

Allison Duffy ’23

Julia Eason ’23

Sabrina Fang ’23

Ronald Feng ’24

Celine Fong ’24

Sebastian Gallardo ’23

Max Garcia-Tunon ’24

Jonah Gurion ’24

Christopher Brooks Harris ’23

Hadley Hart ’23

Theodore Holtman ’24

Dillon Hurst ’23

David John Jones III ’23

Eli Kerlan ’24

Adam Kern ’23

Anya Khemlani ’23

Aegus Kim ’24

Lauren Kim ’23

Emily Kolodner ’23

Adé Larsen ’23

Elizabeth Lee ’23

Harrison Lower ’23

William Mahoney ’23

Ayush Maini ’24

Rohan Malik ’23

Julia Marrinan ’23

Benjamin Mathias ’23

Alen Matsui ’23

Stella Maymin ’24

Aidan McIntosh ’24

Dylan Mentzer ’23

Sydney Merrill ’23

Tyler Moyer ’23

Nicholas Neshovski ’23

Neil Noronha ’24

Katia Ohmacht ’24

Michael Pace ’24

Trinity Parameswaran ’23

Alexander Pearle ’23

Samantha Penn ’23

Sofia Petricone ’23

Archer Pil ’23

AJ Pisacano ’23

Nicholas Roddy ’23

Jun Sherry ’24

Natalie Shin ’23

Kyle Sisitsky ’25

Isabel Slippen ’23

Nathaniel Smith ’23

Raghav Srinivasan ’23

Luke Sullivan ’23

Quinn Sullivan ’23

Dante Tabossi Zugman ’23

Liana Talpins ’23

Valerie Umanzor ’24

Arthur Wang ’23

Jeffrey Wang ’23

Yoyo Wang ’24

Emilie Ward ’23

Ewan Ward ’24

Apolline Weinstein ’24

Alexis Weiss ’23

Casey Wu ’24

Ethan Xiao ’24

Andrew Zhang ’24

Donna Zhang ’24

Jordan Zhao ’24

Ruth Zhao ’23

Jefferson Zhou ’24

38 AP SCHOLARS WITH HONOR

Students who received an averagescoreofatleast3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scoresof3orhigheronfour or more of these exams.

Carter Appleyard ’23

Luke Beyer ’23

M Bremer ’23

Penelope Brody ’24

Katherine Burdick ’24

Payton Caggiano ’23

Ryan Chan ’24

Alyssa Chu ’25

Alexander Cohen ’24

Olivia Craig ’23

Eddy Criollo ’23

Cole Denson ’24

Griffin Eubanks ’24

Anna Franzino ’24

Nico Giagni ’23

Ryan Gordon ’23

Sameer Hirani ’24

Mina Kim ’24

Colin Kinsey ’24

Jack Klein ’23

Samuel Kobi ’24

Natalia Kochut ’24

Matthew Liew ’23

Victoria Medow ’23

Harrison Millan ’26

Jack Oehler ’23

Elizabeth Owens ’24

Danielle Penn ’24

Jared Perlmutter ’24

Jordyn Roskind ’23

Jane Saltz ’24

Raizuli Shah ’23

Ian Shurslep ’23

Avery Smith ’23

Caroline Snell ’24

Anne Suter ’23

Nayana Thomas ’23

Derek Zaeske ’24

48 AP SCHOLARS

Students who received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

Bryant Vincent Agulay ’23

Grace Allen ’24

Arjun Arora ’26

Adam Badillo ’24

Reese Bommer ’24

Sebastian Briano ’24

Andrew Cheigh ’23

Brynn Coady ’24

Ricardo Coates ’23

Henry Cohn ’23

Buck Coquillette ’24

Benjamin Cousin ’24

Ryan D’Ambrosio ’24

Morgan Daily ’23

Alexander Davis ’24

Felix Dosmond ’23

Dylan Garbutt ’24

Elizabeth Hackett ’24

Madison HaftAbromovitch ’24

Morgan Harvey ’24

Ava Herzog ’24

Aaden Johnson ’24

Caroline Kelly ’24

Alexa Kim ’24

Lauren Kim ’23

Varun Kolluri ’24

Lucius Liu ’26

Annabel Mattia ’23

Piper Migden ’24

Aveer Pandey ’23

Naki Pekarovic ’24

Barrett Pennington ’24

Massimo Piccinini ’24

Anna Pickette ’24

Francesca Ricciarini ’24

Isabella Romita ’24

Ethan Roque ’24

Angad Sethi ’24

Olivia Sica ’24

Sydney Snell ’24

Alex Solo ’23

James Song ’25

Patrick Stronski ’23

Olivia Thomas ’24

Isabel Tiburcio ’24

Catherine Tucker ’24

Stephen Vumbacco ’23

Claire Yu ’25

172 Rye Country Day students were recognized by the College Board’s 2023 Advanced Placement Program for their outstanding achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Exams.

These lists reflect the College Board’s AP Scholar reporting as of August 25, 2023.

MATHEMATICS

NEW YORK MATH LEAGUE CONTEST

Over one million students from the United States and Canada participate in Math League Contests each year. Every contest has questions from different areas of mathematics. The goal is to encourage student interest and confidence in mathematics through solving worthwhile problems. Many students first develop an interest in mathematics through problemsolving activities such as these contests.

TOP SCORERS AT RCDS

GRADE 8

1st – Catherine L. ’28, Phineas M. ’29

2nd – Sara Komaroff ’27

GRADE 7

1st – Oliver J. ’30

2nd – Nikolas R. ’30

3rd – Jeremy C. ’29, Ian Z. ’30

GRADE 6

1st – Leela T. ’29

2nd – Sahana B. ’29, David K. ’29, Koji N. ’29, Deven Y. ’29

GRADE 5

1st – Alex L. ’30

2nd – Miles R. ’30

3rd – Yuanmei Z. ’30

MATH OLYMPIAD

Last year nearly 170,000 students from 6,000 teams worldwide participated in the Math Olympiad. All 50 states and about 30 other countries were represented.

TOP SCORERS AT RCDS

DIVISION E MATH OLYMPIAD TOP SCORERS AT RCDS

GRADES 5 & 6

1st – David K. ’29

2nd – Claire R. ’29

3rd – Chloe B. ’29, George B. ’29

DIVISION M MATH OLYMPIAD TOP SCORERS AT RCDS

GRADES 7 & 8

1st – Oliver J. ’30

2nd – Jeremy C. ’29, Nikolas R. ’30

AMERICAN MATH CONTEST

The American Math Contest is divided into three levels: one designated for students in middle school (AMC 8), one for students through Grade 10 (AMC 10), and another for students through Grade 12 (AMC 12).

TOP SCORERS AT RCDS

AMC 8

Gold – Melody W. ’28

Silver – Aanya U. ’28

Bronze – Maya Torgalkar ’27

AMC10 A

1st Place - Arav Ramaswamy ’26

2nd Place - Jaymin Ding ’25, Charles Iwanski ’26, James Song ’25

AMC10 B

1st place - Veeraj Shah ’25

2nd place - Jaymin Ding ’25

3rd Place - Arav Ramaswamy ’26

AMC12 A

1st place – Alyssa Chu ’25

Earned certificates of achievement and distinction, and was placed on the honor roll of distinctions.

2nd place – Rohan Malik ’23

Earned a certificate of distinction.

3rd place – Andrew Zhang ’24

AMC12 B

1st place – Alyssa Chu ’25

Earned a certificate of distinction.

2nd Place – Rohan Malik ’23

Earned a certificate of distinction.

3rd Place – Ethan Xiao ’24

MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA RECOGNITIONS

The Mathematical Association of America recognized two RCDS students for their outstanding performance in the American Mathematics Contest, which is among the most prestigious math competitions in the United States and the world.

Alyssa Chu ’24

received a Jane Street Certificate and an Akamai Certificate for her high scores on the AMC12A and 12B. The Akamai and Jane Street Awards honor top-performing girls on the AMC 12A and 12B respectively.

Melody W. ’28

received a D.E. Shaw Group Certificate of Excellence for her high scores in the AMC8. D.E. Shaw Group Awards honor top-performing girls on the AMC 8.

AMERICAN INVITATIONAL MATHEMATICS EXAMINATION

The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) is an intermediate examination intended to provide challenge and recognition to high school students in North America who have exceptional mathematical abilities.StudentswhoexcelintheAmericanMathCompetitions(AMC10 and12)areinvitedtoparticipateintheAIME.

AIME QUALIFIERS

Andrew Zhang ’24

Alyssa Chu ’25

Max Garcia-Tunon ’24

Rohan Malik ’23

Ethan Xiao ’24

WESTCHESTERPUTNAM INTERSCHOLASTIC MATH LEAGUE COMPETITION

RCDS had an impressive showing at the Westchester-Putnam Interscholastic Math League Competition in March. Alyssa Chu ’25 was named the top individual scorer and the RCDS team took seventh place overall in the regional high school tournament. This outstanding performance earned the RCDS math team qualification for the New York State Mathematics League Spring Championship.

The league entails six monthly competitions throughout the year from October to March and is composed of three 10-minute rounds consisting of two questions. Questions are marked correct or incorrect and no partial credit is given.

TOP INDIVIDUAL SCORER

Alyssa Chu ’24

RCDS MATH TEAM

Rahul Arora ’25

Melanie Asness ’25

Chaaranath Badrinath ’26

Aadi Bhattacharya ’23

Rhodes Boester ’24

Alyssa Chu ’25 - Top Individual Scorer

Cole Denson ’24

Max Garcia-Tunon ’24

Rohan Malik ’23

Arav Ramaswamy ’26

Colette Sawyer ’25

Veeraj Shah ’25

Luke Sullivan ’23

Apolline Weinstein ’24

Claire Yu ’25

Upper School students participated in PHSK, the RCDS Chinese Contest in March. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honor medals were awarded.

2023 CHINESE AWARDS

GOLD MEDAL

PSK1

Alexa Chua ’25**

Zoe Sterling-Dixon ’25

PHSK2

James Ding ’26 **

Elaine Fong ’27**

Amy He ’27

Lauren Slovin ’25

PSK4

Junjun Li ’26

SILVER MEDAL

PSK1

Skylar Perez ’26

Xavier Perkins ’26

PHSK2

Lizzy Yepes ’25

PHSK3

Rhodes Boester ’24

Jane Saltz ’24

PSK4

Connor Rusch ’25

BRONZE MEDAL

PHSK2

Eleanor Brown ’25

Julia Kroin ’25

PSK4

Eileen Deng ’23

Ethan Schales ’25

HONORABLE MENTION

PHSK3

Alexander Cohen ’24

PSK4

Claire Yu ’25

2023 GREEK AWARDS

The 2023 National Greek Exam was taken by over 1,465 students from 147 universities, colleges, and secondary schools in the US and around the world. One Upper School Rye Country Day student received a certificate.

BEGINNING ATTIC GREEK EXAM

Green - Merit Certificate

Naki Pekarovic ’24

NATIONAL LATIN EXAM

The 2023 National Latin Exam was administered by the American Classical League to over 100,000 students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and 13 foreign countries. Rye Country Day students in Grades 7-12 were named award winners across many levels of achievement.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SUMMA CUM LAUDE

Gold Medal Awards

INTRO TO LATIN

Melody W. ’28

BEGINNING LATIN I

Maya Maymin ’27

MAXIMA CUM LAUDE

Silver Medal Awards

INTRODUCTION TO LATIN

Hunter S. ’28

BEGINNING LATIN I

Felipe Quintero Ochoa ’27

Maya Maymin ’27

Michael Goneos ’27

MAGNA CUM LAUDE Awards

INTRODUCTION TO LATIN

Connor K. ’28

BEGINNING LATIN I

Sela Rozov ’27

Peter Valenton ’27

CUM LAUDE Awards

INTRODUCTION TO LATIN

Trevor F. ’28

Emma P. ’28

Henry H. ’28

BEGINNING LATIN I

Max Maven Agulay ’27

UPPER SCHOOL

SUMMA CUM LAUDE

Gold Medal Awards

INTERMEDIATE LATIN I

Lucius Liu ’26

Harrison Moss ’26

Milin Torgalkar ’26

INTERMEDIATE LATIN II

Ryan D’Ambrosio ’24

INTERMEDIATE READING COMPREHENSION I

Ari Israel ’25 (perfect paper)

ADVANCED PROSE II

William Mahoney ’23

MAXIMA CUM LAUDE

Silver Medal Awards

INTERMEDIATE LATIN I

Ishana Kumar ’26

Ryan Pauta ’26

Margaret Ben-Meir ’26

Artemis Lisker ’26

Andrew Mulderry ’26

Frank Zingg ’26

INTERMEDIATE LATIN II

Keira Zheng ’25

INTERMEDIATE READING COMPREHENSION I

Emma Silberstein ’25

ADVANCED PROSE I

Naki Pekarovic ’24

ADVANCED PROSE II

Sofia Petricone ’23

Tyler Moyer ’23

Sydney Merrill ’23

MAGNA CUM LAUDE Awards

BEGINNING LATIN II

Stephen Pinder ’26

INTERMEDIATE LATIN I

Miles Dinger ’26

INTERMEDIATE LATIN II

Lachlan Bommer ’25

ADVANCED PROSE I

Neil Noronha ’24

Elizabeth Kavanagh ’24

Sydney Snell ’24

CUM LAUDE Awards

INTERMEDIATE LATIN I

Samuel Sah-Nixon ’25

Arnav Vyas ’25

Winn Metrailler ’26

Theodore Pettit ’26

Robert Lazar ’26

Charles Pearle ’26

Ryan Shurgin ’26

ADVANCED PROSE I

Anna Franzino ’24

Isabella Romita ’24

ADVANCED PROSE I

Lauren Kim ’23

SPANISH AWARDS

The National Spanish Exam was administered to RCDS students in the Middle and Upper School in the spring.

GOLD MEDAL

LEVEL 01

Andrew E. ’28

Bianca A. ’28

Isabella L. ’28

Grant D. ’28

Izzy B. ’28

Riley M. ’28

LEVEL 1

Sarah Anderson ’27

Brady Hollwedel ’27

Molly Hart ’27

Sara Komaroff ’27

Kevin Neilinger ’27

Jocelyn Rice ’27

Caroline Stronski ’27

Jacob Tucznio ’27

Tancrede Weinstein ’27

Lila Woodruff ’27

LEVEL 2

Sophia Shen ’26

Kayla Erickson ’26

LEVEL 3

Blake James ’25

Anika Kini ’25

Frankie Hu ’26

Ana Petricone ’25

Isabela Pierry ’25

LEVEL 5

Sofía Castañeda ’24

Max García-Tuñón ’24

Kyle Sisitsky ’25

SILVER MEDAL

LEVEL 01

Henry A. ’28

Sahana B. ’29

James C. ’28

Grant D. ’28

Spencer E. ’28

Bruce G. ’28

Bruce J. ’28

Alexander K. ’28

Hudson P. ’28

Zachary M. ’28

Jack M. ’28

Raghav R.’28

Andrew R. ’28

LEVEL 1

Henry Brown ’27

Bailey Donovan ’27

Ximena Garcia ’27

Sadie K. ’28

Christopher Keating ’27

Willem Lower ’27

Sejal Mackey ’27

Felix Mao ’27

Summer Sisitsky ’27

Alexandra Steyn ’27

Ella Schwalbe ’27

Miles Wolf ’27

Amaya Yokuty ’27

Zihan Z. ’28

LEVEL 2

Alice Rikkers ’26

Skyla Perez ’26

Emily Williams ’26

Vreeland Tuncer ’26

Illaria Liedtke ’27

Renna Thukral ’26

Diana Davidson ’27

LEVEL 3

Melanie Asness ’25

Matthew Lee ’26

Emely Luzón-Vigay ’25

Anika Bhat ’25

Ellie Block ’25

LEVEL 4

Alexa Kim ’24

Ben Cousin ’24

David Colin ’24

Aaden Johnson ’24

Francisco Luz ’25

Joaquín González ’25

LEVEL 5

Val Umanzor ’24

BRONZE MEDAL

LEVEL 01

Brandon T. ’28

Marcus S. ’28

Yasmin F. ’28

Lucas G. ’28

Benjamin K.’28

Aarshia P. ’28

Grant M. ’28

Alexander T. ’28

Ben P. ’28

LEVEL 1

Sara de la Fuente ’27

Amelia Escaleira ’27

Ethan Kantor ’27

Marguerite McDonald ’27

Mark Shalette ’27

LEVEL 2

Ray Cao ’26

LEVEL 3

Tara McIntosh ’25

Emily Cheigh ’25

Henry Fogel ’25

Ethan Schales ’25

LEVEL 4

Isabel TIburcio ’24

HONORABLE MENTION

LEVEL 01

Simran A. ’28

Hannah J. ’28

Jake J. ’28

Dylan K. ’28

Abigail S. ’28

William S. ’28

Andrew T. ’28

Aanya U. ’28

Simon W. ’28

LEVEL 1

Warren Blake ’27

Evan Kern ’27

Jordyn Lake ’27

Lily Leand ’27

Parker Maritzen ’27

Eden Nhaissi ’27

Caroline Pereira ’27

Zachary Wirth ’27

LEVEL 2

Kayla Parameswaran ’26

Mia Herz ’26

LEVEL 3

Samuel Kobi ’24

LEVEL 4

Grace Allen ’24

Betsy Owens ’24

Sarah Rivas ’24

Celine Fong ’24

Danielle Penn ’24

Ava Herzog ’24

Sameer Hirani ’24

Sebastián Briano ’24

FRENCH AWARDS

GOLD MEDAL

Level 01A

Catherine L. ’28

Level 1A

Luke Werwaiss ’27

Level 2A

Nina Bortner-Hirszman ’26

Alyssa Chu ’25

Frankie Hu ’26

Selena Zhang ’26

Level 3A

Samantha Lee ’25

Maria Flores ’25

Aaden Johnson ’24

Isabela Pierry ’25

Leah Steyn ’25

Leo Roth ’ 25

Level 4A

Tyler Hatstadt ’26

Gabriela Schlumberger ’25

Kyle Sisitsky ’25

Eliana Thomas ’26

Valerie Umanzor ’24

Level 5C

Apolline Weinstein ’24

SILVER MEDAL

Level 01A

Marshall B. ’28

Julie C. ’28

Ailey D. ’28

Christopher E. ’28

Georgina M. ’28

Ariana Q. ’28

Madeleine S. ’28

Arianna Y. ’28

Level 1A

Maleah Dunkley ’27

Jacob Fisch ’27

Zara Khemlani ’27

Juliet Tuncer ’27

Level 2A

Lydia Sussman ’25

Annabella Yu ’25

Level 3A

Felix Caminiti ’25

Taeko Fueno ’25

Aegus Kim ’24

Colette Sawyer ’25

Level 4A

Mina Kim ’24

Raghav Srinivasan ’23

Robert Wang ’25

Donna Zhang ’24

Level 5A

Michael Pace ’24

BRONZE MEDAL

Level 01A

Lilly K. ’28

Caitlin F. ’28

Dillon W. ’28

Level 3A

Carter Richert ’25

Zoe Roth ’25

Mara Visentin ’25

Lizzy Yepes ’25

Chris Yepes ’25

Level 4A

Cole Denson ’24

Level 5A

Anya Khemlani ’23

HONORABLE MENTION

Level 01A

Emmy L. ’28

Reagan M. ’28

Kayla R. ’28

Lilia S. ’28

Level 1A

Henry Harvey ’27

Annabella Yu ’26

Level 2A

Dominique Alvarez ’26

Sahar Harris ’26

Ambika Nott ’25

Level 3A

Davis Clarke ’25

Level 4A

Katherine Burdick ’24

Buck Coquillette ’24

Dylan Garbutt ’24

Natalia Kochut ’24

Piper Migden ’24

Caroline Snell ’24

Level 5C

Archer Pil ’23

Middle and Upper School students participated in Le Grand Concours, the National French Contest, in March. Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded.

PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR CANDIDATES

Allison Duffy ’23, Rohan Malik ’23, Benjamin Mathias ’23, and Sydney Merrill ’23 were named candidates in the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar Program, which recognizes the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

Allison Duffy is an exemplary scholar, student leader, and community citizen. As a junior and senior, Allison took a total of nine AP courses, as well as Honors English Seminars. In addition to outstanding academics, Allison was actively committed to public purpose at RCDS, specifically women’s education. In ninth grade, she founded a club dedicated to supporting girls’ education in the Dominican Republic. The summer before her junior year, she was selected as a Community Engagement Fellow, partnering with Girls Inc. to collect stories from participants to produce a storybook that was used for outreach and fundraising. As president of the Women in Science Club, Allison worked to counter the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM by mentoring girls at RCDS interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. Allison also participated in Montessori Model UN, a division of Youth For a Better World, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. As a senior with years of participation in the Saturday Enrichment Tutorial program, she was named the SET volunteer coordinator and curriculum leader. Allison was a 2023 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.

Rohan Malik is an accomplished student who excels in math, science, and computer science. In addition to many academic achievements

made us extremely proud. Their

as inspiring examples of Rye Country Day’s

citizenship. Congratulations to these impressive young

at RCDS, high-level science research has been a mainstay of Rohan’s efforts beyond the classroom. As a sophomore, Rohan was selected as a research intern at the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center in the Christina Leslie Lab for Computational Biology. Rohan was also a software engineer at Amicus Brain Innovations Inc, a global digital health startup providing AI services to support caring for patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Rohan’s leadership has inspired peers and mentors alike at RCDS, as captain of the Math and Robotics teams, foil squad leader of the RCDS Fencing team, an active member of the AAPI Club, and a dynamic contributor to the School’s DEI initiatives. Rohan twice qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, was named a 2023 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, earned highest honors at the Westchester STANYS and NYS Science Congress Competition, won first place at the Tri-County (Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties) Science and Technology Fair, and presented research at Regeneron’s Westchester Engineering & Science Fair.

Ben Mathias is a passionate scholar whose love of learning applies to a wide range of academic disciplines. Ben’s superb academic work has earned him top grades in RCDS’s most rigorous courses. In addition, he graduated having completed multivariable calculus, as well as the entire RCDS physics curriculum, as a junior. In the fall, he was named a semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Ben’s academic achievement is coupled with athletic excellence. A talented squash player who has been ranked among the top 15 players in the

nation, Ben received the RCDS MVP award and was named to the first team of the Fairchester Athletic League in his junior year. As a senior, he was voted captain of the RCDS Boys’ Squash team and led the Wildcats to two championship titles, the 2023 U.S. High School Squash Nationals (Division II) and the 2023 NYSAIS Championship.

Sydney Merrill ’23 is a stellar student with an exceptional academic record. At RCDS, she excelled across disciplines, receiving top marks in classes surpassing the AP level, such as Multivariable Calculus, Honors Latin 5, and Honors English Seminar. Extending innate curiosity and acumen well beyond the classroom, she enrolled in a mechanical engineering course at Brown University, where she worked on transforming a microwave into a radar gun. The summer before her senior year, Sydney immersed herself in a six-week study abroad program in Korea, where she improved her language skills and expanded her understanding of the country’s culture and history. In the fall, she was named a semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Sydney’s involvement in school life is also exemplary. In her senior year, she was the center defender and co-captain of the RCDS Varsity Girls’ Soccer team. For three consecutive years, she was the Assistant Stage Manager for the RCDS Drama and Dance Department, a role that is critical for the annual Upper School musical. Especially dedicated to contributing to her community, Sydney was a Head Peer Tutor of the RCDS Peer Tutoring Program, helping to teach concepts of Algebra 2/Trigonometry to younger schoolmates.

“Allison Duffy, Rohan Malik, Ben Mathias, and Sydney Merrill have

achievements and leadership—at school and beyond—stand

commitment to outstanding scholarship and active

leaders on this well-deserved recognition”

— Head of School Randall Dunn

Allison Duffy

Rohan Malik

Benjamin Mathias

Sydney Merrill *Students who are in the RCDS Middle School

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS

ADDITIONAL HONORS

recipients of

potential for academic success.

JOURNAL OF FUTURE ECONOMISTS CONTRIBUTORS

Will Mahoney ’23, Archer Pil ’23, Shaurya Grover ’25, and Adam Kern ’23 teamed up to develop and write a podcast script, which was selected for publication in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Journal of Future Economists. The recognition is the result of their winning participation in the 2023 High School Fed Challenge, which gives students an opportunity to develop skills in teamwork, research, data literacy, and analytical writing.

Each year, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York designates a theme for the High School Fed Challenge to encourage students in grades 9 through 12 to learn more about and promote interest in economics for academic and professional pursuits. The 2022-23 theme, Economics of Globalization, challenged students to demonstrate their understanding of the integration of markets and the movement of goods and services across borders to make compelling arguments regarding the advantages or disadvantages of globalization and interconnectedness economies.

Will, Archer, Shaurya, and Adam were one of just 12 winning teams. Their script titled “Friendshoring” and Deglobalization in the Shadow of COVID-19 and Russia’s War in Ukraine discusses the concept of “friendshoring,” or trying to protect supply chains by favoring trade with allies and nations that are seen as politically stable over one that is potentially less stable or less friendly.

NCTE PROMISING YOUNG WRITER

Juliette Moore ’27 was recognized in the 2023 NCTE Promising Young Writers Contest as the author of a Superior work of writing. Of the 146 students nominated to participate in the contest, 58 received the Superior designation, which is considered the silver award in the program.

Papers were judged on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style. NCTE describes participation in the program as a way teachers can elevate the importance of writing. Juliette’s writing was submitted by active NCTE member and RCDS MS English Department Chair Kate Marlow. Juliette’s nonfiction essay, “Shifting Between Two Worlds,” is a moving personal account of the complexities she has encountered navigating her bicultural identity and her resolve to find and honor her true, authentic self.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a leading, comprehensive literacy organization supporting more than 25,000 preK–college teachers in the United States since 1911.

Will Mahoney Archer Pil Shaurya Grover Adam Kern

Sabrina Fang ’23, Elizabeth Lee ’23, William Mahoney ’23, Rohan Malik ’23, Benjamin Mathias ’23, and Archer Pil ’23 were named

scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students were selected from a talent pool of over 15,000 finalists and are among the 2,500 scholarship winners nationwide. A committee of experienced college admissions officers and school counselors base their selections for this prestigious scholarship on a student’s academic record, test scores, activities, and awards, and

Sabrina Fang Elizabeth Lee William Mahoney Rohan Malik Benjamin Mathias Archer Pil

Juliette Moore

U.S. RIDERS ROBOTICS LEAGUE COMPETITION WINNERS

The Upper School Robotics and Engineering Class won the U.S. Riders Robotics League Competition and advanced to the Global Finals in May. RCDS roboticists put on an impressive performance in the final round of competition, “The Amazon Warehouse Challenge.” The students created a generative algorithm that allowed their robot to deliver multiple packages to the proper stations within an Amazon warehouse. After placing first in the competition, the students decided to donate their prize, a $600 Amazon Gift Card, to those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

In its second season, the U.S. Riders Robotics League is an online esports league where teams compete against one another in robotics and coding challenges. The competition won by RCDS consisted of over 25 teams with approximately 180 students from 8 different states. Roughly 7,300 codes were submitted by all of the teams over 16 competition days.

CARBON FOOTPRINT STUDENT POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

Drew E. ’28 and Kayla R. ’28 were among the winners in the Carbon Footprint Student Poster Contest as part of the Westchester County Net-Zero Cities Climate Now Event. Participants were asked to create a poster that shows their family’s carbon footprint behaviors and solutions to reduce their usage. 78 Rye Country Day seventh graders participated in the program, showcasing their creativity and reflection on ways they can give back to the earth. The event, hosted by the Rye Sustainability Committee, featured booth exhibitors, panel discussions, electric vehicle fleets, and performances.

MS SUMOBOTS ROBOTICS - WINNERS

The Middle School Sumobots Robotics Club’s latest tournament was held on April 1 at Long Ridge School. Students from Long Ridge, Hudson Lab School, and RCDS attended, having worked on robots that can compete in both autonomous programming and remote control rounds of play. Fifth graders Anand S. and Oliver J. earned first place in both the heavyweight autonomous and heavyweight remote control divisions.

SCIENCE

BEDFORD 2030 GREENLIGHT AWARDS HONORABLE MENTION

Rhodes Boester ’24, David Colin ’24, Aidan McIntosh ’24, and Apolline Weinstein ’24 were recently named to the honorable mention list for “Best Teamwork to Inspire Actionable Change” at the Bedford 2030 Greenlight Awards in April. Their project, entitled ecoillumination, is a custom-built website that helps its user find lightbulbs that use the least amount of energy. Students researched different light bulbs, designed, coded, and tested methods of outreach for their website to develop their final product.

The Bedford 2030 Greenlight Awards give high school students the opportunity to present environmentally-focused projects. Teams work over a six-month period to turn their ideas into prototypes and develop a marketing and engagement plan to effectively promote positive action. This year’s competition featured 13 high school teams from eight Westchester schools and youth groups and concluded with an awards ceremony at the Katonah Village Library.

2023 WESTCHESTER COUNTY REGIONAL ENVIROTHON COMPETITIONSOIL AND LAND USE CATEGORY WINNERS

RCDS students participated in the Westchester County Regional Envirothon Competition and placed first in the Soil and Land Use category for the second year in a row. Other competition categories included aquatics, forestry, wildlife, and an oral presentation focused on mitigating climate change in rural and urban areas. The Envirothon, which took place at Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem, NY, was open to all high schools in Westchester County.

In January, the students began preparing for the exciting regional competition. In once-per-cycle meetings, they were advised by Kerry Linderoth, RCDS Director of Sustainability, and Jax Mack, Director of Conservation at the Rye Nature Center.

Drew E. Kayla R.

*Students who are in the RCDS Middle School at the time of publication are listed with their first names and last initials.

Rhodes Boester David Colin Aidan McIntosh Apolline Weinstein

AN OUTSTANDING YEAR FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH

2022-23 was a record year for the RCDS Upper School Science Research program, with more students than ever sharing and being recognized for their work. Advanced RCDS high school researchers spent the year collecting and analyzing data to learn about topics of particular interest to them.

Urban Barcode Symposium

Stella Maymin ’24 and Cate Tucker ’24 presented their project Foraging for Fungi: Fungi as Bioindicators of Air Quality Index (AQI) at the Urban Barcode Symposium. The regional fair is hosted by the Urban Barcode Project, a science program that promotes the exploration of biodiversity in New York City and the metropolitan area.

Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair

Six RCDS juniors from Science Research and Engineering classes presented their research at the Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (WESEF). Four received awards for their projects. WESEF is a leading regional fair showcasing distinctive research of high school students in Westchester, Putnam, and Sullivan counties of New York State. Participating students showcase their multi-year STEAM research projects in a competitive venue and are judged by local experts in the fields of life science, physical science, environmental studies, psychology, and engineering. Participating RCDS students interned during the summer to inform their advanced research projects. During the 2022-23 school year, they managed a significant junior course load, while continuing their research. Their recognitions are well-earned and well-deserved.

Somers Science Fair

Seven students participated in the Somers Science Fair, a competition that provides a unique opportunity for first-year science research students to present posters demonstrating their in-depth understanding of their own proposed research. The fair’s purpose is to showcase students with sound scientific thinking and insight, regardless of current mentor status. Three students placed in the fair’s top 3. Rohan Malik ’23 and Aadi Bhattacharya ’23 also judged posters this year!

• Leah Steyn ’25, Lyophilized Antibody-Drug Conjugate Formulations Using Excipients for Stabilized Drug Delivery (*3rd place, Biochemistry)

• Anika Bhat ’25, Enhancement of Anti-Tumor Drug MRTX1133 by PD-1 & Tim-3 Receptor Inhibition in Pancreatic Cancer (*3rd place, Cell & Moleclar Biology)

• Iris Gu ’25, Altering Claudin-5 Protein Regulation To Suppress Vascular Permeability As A Promising Strategy Against Respiratory Disease Spread

• Henry Fogel ’25, Assessing the Impact of Abnormal Quadricep Angle Measurements on Movement Quality with Regards to ACL Injury

• Alyssa Chu ’25, Multipartite Quantum Dense Coding Apolline Weinstein ’24, Progressing Technology to Accurately Decode Speech From Non-Invasive Brain Recordings

• Veeraj Shah ’25, Correlation Between Dopamine Release and Apthy in Cannabis Users

• Apolline Weinstein ’24, Progressing Technology to Accurately Decode Speech From Non-Invasive Brain Recordings

Jonah Gurion ’24 won the GENIUS Olympiad Award and earned third place in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Jonah will compete again in June in the International GENIUS Olympiad at Rochester Institute of Technology. Project: The CRISPR Cas9 Mediated Knock-in of the ZAP70 Gene as a Cure for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease. Mentor: Regeneron.

Aidan McIntosh ’24 won the Society for In-Vitro Biology Award, which is given to eleventh-grade students in recognition of their outstanding research in the areas of tissue or cell culture of plants or animals. Project: Excess Prostaglandins Caused by PGT Inhibition Mediate Key NAFLD Pathways in Zebrafish. Mentor: Einstein Montefoire.

Ellen Chen ’24 won the Excellence in Medical Research Award for Computational Biology/Bioinformatics. Ellen also published a paper about her research. Project: CNA Explorer and anaLyzer (CNAEL): An Interactive Web Application & Standard Operating Procedure Enabling Efficient Clinical Review and Reporting of Complex NGSDerived Tumor Copy Number Profiles. Mentor: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Ronald Feng ’24 earned third place in Behavioral Science. Project: A Study on How Firearm Laws Impact Gun Violence in The U.S. via Data Analysis & Machine Learning. Mentors: RCDS STEM Faculty Kaori McManus and Reham Islam.

Sofia Castañeda ’24 presented research. Project: Investigating the Prevalence of Stroke in Pakistan vs. United States in order to Conduct Efficient Gene Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Mentor: Regeneron.

Jefferson Zhou ’24 presented research. Project: Discovering Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Gleason Scores From Multi-Omics Data Using Machine Leaning. Mentor: IBM.

Tri-County Science and Technology Fair

Five RCDS students participated in the 2023 Tri-County Science and Technology Fair, and each received an individual student award. In addition, Rye Country Day School received the Frank Iacopelli Award for Academic Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics for Top High School.

• In the Health & Medicine category of the Middle School Awards, Juliette Moore ’27 received the second place award for her project Transforming Diets for Dysphagia: How Does Reverse Spherification Affect the Oral Residency Time of Semolina Pasta and Chickpea Pasta?

• In the Biology category of the High School Awards, Aidan Mcintosh ’24 won third place for his project Excess Prostaglandins Caused By PGT Inhibition Mediate Key NAFLD Pathways in Zebrafish

• In the Health & Nutrition category of the High School Awards, Ronald Feng ’24 received the second place award for his project Study on How Firearm Laws Impact Gun Violence in the US via Data Analysis and Machine Learning

• In the Math/Computers category of the High School Awards, Jefferson Zhou ’24 received the second place award for his project Discovering Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Gleason Scores From Multi-omics Data Using Machine Learning

• In the Medicine & Medical Science & Technology category of the High School Awards, Ellen Chen ’24 received the second place award for her project CNA Explorer & anaLyzer: an interactive web application & standard operating procedure enabling efficient clinical review and reporting for precision oncology

NAACP AFRO-ACADEMIC, CULTURAL, TECHNOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC OLYMPICS COMPETITION MEDALISTS

Three Rye Country Day Upper Schoolers won medals in the Westchester Region NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (NAACP ACT-SO) Competition.

The NAACP ACTSO Competition encourages the academic and cultural achievements among students of African descent in Grades 9 through 12. Categories include business, humanities, performing and visual arts, and STEM.

Eleanor Brown ’25 won a Silver Medal in Dance and a Bronze Medal in Oratory. Isabella Jolicoeur ’25 won a Silver Medal in Original Essay and a Bronze Medal -in Dance. Eliana Thomas ’26 won a Silver Medal in Oratory.

U.S. INVITATIONAL YOUNG PHYSICISTS TOURNAMENT

Rye Country Day School continued its involvement with the U.S. Invitational Young Physicists Tournament (USIYPT), an annual physics research and debate tournament for high school students. The 2023 tournament was held at the Nueva School in San Mateo, CA. There were 11 teams, including one from China and one from the country of Georgia. The Nueva School won the tournament.

The tournament’s hallmarks are “physics fights,” hour-long studentled debates over the quality of each team’s solution to the posed problems. Usually, the debates begin with the reporting team giving a ten-minute summary of their research on one of the four official tournament problems, and then they engage in discussion with the opponents—just as members of competing research groups at a conference might discuss a presentation.

Rye Country Day had a strong showing in the preliminary physics fights, and participation in the tournament, which was judged by physics professionals and professors, was a valuable experience for all. After returning home, the RCDS YPT team immediately got busy exploring the 2024 problems. These include making a topographical map of the moon based on telescope/cell phone photos, exploring the motion of water droplets rebounding from spinning surfaces, using magnetic induction to quantify energy loss in collisions, and exploring how weights (called halteres by the ancient Greeks) can be used to extend long jumps.

Electrostatic Pendulum Team: Aadi Bhattacharya ’23 (Presenter), Jack de Haan ’24, Eileen Deng ’23, Jack Klein ’23 (Travel team), Natalia Kochut ’24, Julia Marrinan ’23 (Travel team), Neil Noronha ’24 (Travel team), Katia Ohmacht ’24 (Travel team), and Cate Tucker ’24.

Tuning Forks Team: Ronald Feng ’24 (Presenter), Zach Ben-Meir ’23 (Travel team), Dillon Hurst ’23 (Travel team), Alexa Kim ’24, Piper Migden ’24, Izzy Romita ’24, Caroline Snell ’24, Casey Wu ’24, and Jordan Zhao ’24.

Speed of Sound Team: Rhodes Boester ’24 (Presenter), Bella Andrade ’23, Yoyo Wang ’24, Andrew Zhang ’24 (Travel team), Claire Yu ’25, and Jefferson Zhou ’24.

Optical Depth Team: Alyssa Chu ’25 (Presenter), Caroline Kelly ’24 (Travel team), Ben Mathias ’23, Archer Pil ’23, and Luke Sullivan ’23.

Coaches: Dr. Mary Krasovec, Mr. Craig Burt, and Dr. Angelo Bove.

SCIENCE

AAPT PHYSICS BOWL REGIONAL DIVISION FIRST PLACE

The Upper School Physics Club placed first in the New York State region division (AP-1) of the 2023 AAPT Physics Bowl. The international high school competition, which is hosted by the American Association of Physics Teachers, invites school teams to compete regionally by taking 40-question, 45-minute multiple-choice tests.

The Physics Bowl is one of the AAPT’s many initiatives supporting the organization’s mission to advance physics teaching and learning by serving as the trusted hub for valued resources and programs, facilitating strong professional networks, and supporting members to advocate for physics education.

Led by Jaymin Ding ’25, RCDS Physics Club members decided to take the exam for the fun of the challenge. Their outstanding performance on the challenging and wide-ranging scientific questions is a testament to their passion for physics!

Division 1 Winners (AP Physics-1 Level): Jaymin Ding ’25, Rhodes Boester ’24, Ethan Xiao ’24, Alyssa Chu ’25, Max Garcia-Tunon ’24, and Ayush Maini ’24.

Division 2 Exam Takers (AP-C Level Physics): Jack de Haan ’24, Neil Noronha ’24, Andrew Zhang ’24, Jordan Zhao ’24, and Jefferson Zhou ’24.

Envirothon Team: Aadi Bhattacharya ’23, Adé Larsen ’23, Liana Talpins ’23, Sophia Lynch ’25, Colette Sawyer ’25, Elizabeth Lee ’23, Rohan Malik ’23, Eileen Deng ’23, Anika Bhat ’25, Leo Roth ’25, and Connor Rusch ’25.

SCIENCE SNAPSHOTS

Grade 3 science students experiment with sensors.

Grade 9 Biology students learn how to edit genes using the CRISPR-Cas9 system.

Grade 6 students dissect vintage computers in Computer Science class.

The Upper School Bioethics Club hosts a visit to the DNA Learning Center at Regeneron.

Grade 8 chemistry lab—creating DIY cold packs.

Alyssa Chu Andrew Zhang Jefferson Zhou Jordan Zhao Max Garcia-Tunon Neil Noronha Ayush Maini Ethan Xiao Jack de Haan Jaymin Ding Rhodes Boester

Students in Grade 1 use the scientific method to learn about liquid measurement.

Grade 8 Science Lab explores chemical reactions.

TRAVELING

IN 2022-23, FOUR GROUPS OF RCDS STUDENTS TRAVELED TO DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS TO DEEPEN THEIR LEARNING AROUND VARIOUS SUBJECTS.

GEORGIA AND ALABAMA Middle Schoolers Take a Tour of Civil Rights History in the American South

Sixteen Middle School graduates, students entering Grade 9, traveled to Georgia and Alabama, visiting historic civil rights monuments, reflecting on American history, and recognizing the impact that each individual can have on shaping the face of our nation. Coordinated in partnership with EduTrips, and led by MS Social Studies Chair Dr. Kyle Mistchele and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ali Morgan, the four-day journey was designed to complement the students’ eighth-grade history curriculum, which included a focus on American Civil Rights.

Traveling to the cities of Atlanta, GA, and Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, AL, students deepened their understanding of American Civil Rights history and figures, including the domestic slave trade, the Jim Crow era, and the evolution of civil rights activism.

ATLANTA

The trip began in Atlanta, Georgia, where the group toured the Civil Rights Museum and visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park, including the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, Gandhi Promenade, and International World Peace Rose Garden. At the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site Visitor Center, the group saw Dr. King’s birth home, the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, the Eternal Flame, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Freedom Walkway. Seeing the birthplace of Dr. King was a moving experience for the students and chaperones alike. They solemnly reflected on Dr. King’s impact and its reminder that we all have an ability and responsibility to be upstanders and champions for human rights.

MONTGOMERY, BIRMINGHAM, AND SELMA

In Montgomery, Alabama, the group had a guided tour of the Civil Rights Memorial Center, which includes the Legacy Museum and Memorial for Peace and Justice. The museum depicts the history of African Americans in the United States, beginning with slavery

“This experience made me more thankful for the protests, and it encourages me to become more brave and speak up for what I believe in.”

—Student Journal Excerpt

through Jim Crow laws and segregation to current issues of mass incarceration and investigates America’s history of racial injustice. Following their tours of the museum, students took time for reflective writing assignments. One student journaled, “One of the opportunities we participated in was a simulation of a lunch counter sit-in. While participating, we put on headphones and we placed our hands flat on the counter. We heard racist retorts and we even felt our seats shaking. This experience was eye opening in many ways, and I think it is one of the most important things we have done so far on the trip.”

The students then toured the Rosa Parks Museum, a memorial to the life of civil rights icon Rosa Parks and the lessons of the Montgomery

a day to celebrate her and the other three victims. Visiting the church and learning more about the girls in previous museums really made me be thankful for the time I have with the people at Jack and Jill and grateful for the moments I’m creating them.”

Another stop in Birmingham was the Southern Negro League Museum, which houses artifacts from the baseball league was created in 1920 by a group of African-American businessmen and baseball enthusiasts. From 1920 until its demise in 1951, the Negro Southern League served as a feeder route for many great black baseball players to go on to the Negro American League and Negro National League. Another highlight was the

MINDS

RCDS Students Deepen Learning Through Immersive Travel Programs

change. One of the several things

the power of

Bus Boycott that brought racial integration to transportation and international attention to civil rights. At this museum, one student was struck by Stephen Mangum’s exhibition titled “Illusions of My Childhood.” She wrote, “Each piece of the art depicts a child standing in the midst of a tragic event, such as the abduction of Emmett Till, lynchings, and other acts of violence, completely unaware of what was happening around them. Many of the children were grinning and blissfully enjoying ice cream. In addition, their faces were vibrant with color while the events in the background were blurry and gray. This was really interesting to me, as it focused on the perception of violence and hate in society and how it was often largely ignored.”

The group then departed for Selma, where they visited the National Voting Rights Museum, walked the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, and toured the Interpretive Center. In Selma, the students heard from George Sallie, 94, a foot soldier of the Selma march who bears a scar on his forehead from Bloody Sunday– the first attempt at crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge to begin the march to Montgomery, which was violently stopped by state police. Mr. Sallie spoke about the leadership of John Lewis, the 50th Anniversary marked by President Obama, and his ultimate message, which was about forgiveness.

In Birmingham, students viewed the markers at the 16th Avenue Baptist Church, commemorating the four young girls murdered by a KKK bomb weeks after the famous March on Washington in 1963. One student reflected on the experience sharing, “The fact that 3 of these girls were most of our age, 14, and that the other girl was 11 is very saddening. It stands close in my heart because one of the girls, Carole Robertson, was part of the Jack and Jill organization, just like I am. We even have

group’s guided walk along the Civil Rights trail, including The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park, a public park with emotionally powerful sculptures depicting the civil rights struggle in Birmingham.

“One of the themes of our trip was the role of young people in the ongoing fight for justice. Having shared this experience, we are even more confident that our students will make a difference in our world.”

–AliMorgan,DirectorofDiversity,Equity,andInclusion

“On this journey, our students were embodiments of young citizens committed and dedicated to lifelong learning and engagement in social

we hope to have instilled just a bit more of in each of them is

reflection, as it helps us process thought, feeling, and emotion — about ourselves and our place in our communities and our futures.”

– Kyle Mitschele, Middle School Social Studies Chair

TRAVELING MINDS

ICELAND

18 Upper School Students Travel to the Land of Fire and Ice to Explore Climate Change and Renewable Energy

Eighteen students, rising eleventh and twelfth graders, visited Iceland, experiencing the surreal landscapes and unique culture of the Nordic island. They were accompanied by Director of Sustainability Kerry Linderoth, MS Science Teacher Amanda Sackey, and US Humanities teacher Johnny Flynn. RCDS partnered with Atlas Workshops to provide this opportunity to study Iceland’s approach to confronting global warming and its varied sources of renewable energy.

Trip highlights included visiting the continental divide at Þingvellir national park, geysers, icebergs, and numerous waterfalls, as well as learning about Iceland’s resource-driven alternative energy economy. Students also visited hot springs, including one that has been converted into a natural oven for making traditional lava bread, and Hellisheiði, a geothermal power plant located above the clouds.

During the week-long trip, student’s ventured from the capital city of Reykjavik to inland and coastal towns. They observed and learned about volcanic rocks, hiked Kerid Crater, and visited a sustainable dairy farm and a geothermal tomato farm. They even experienced the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa located in a lava field near Grindavík and in front of Mount Þorbjörn on Reykjanes Peninsula.

Waterfalls visited included Gullfoss, which drops 26,000 gallons of water per second, Seljalandsfoss and its family of five waterfalls, the geometric basalt waterfall Vatnajökulsþyoðgarður, and Skógafoss, Iceland’s largest waterfall. The group also saw the original Geysir site, where the smaller geysir, Strokkur, erupts every four minutes. At the Ljósafossstöð hydropower plant, the students delved further into the topic of renewable energy through an interactive museum exhibit.

A special focus of the trip was climate change, and students were able to observe its impacts firsthand. They attended a talk by climate activist and author Andri Magnason, which inspired them to be environmental stewards who recognize the power they have to leave behind a healthy planet. They also heard from climate activist Hildur Knutsdottir who discussed the intersection of climate change and politics.

At Breiðamerkursandur, or Diamond Beach, students witnessed global warming up close in the form of floating icebergs washing ashore. At the glacier lagoon, where the group ventured up 30 flights on a pulchritudinous glacier, they also saw small icebergs float out to sea—a bittersweet sight. These sights helped students understand and visualize the rapid pace at which the glaciers are melting.

The trip also gave students a glimpse into Icelandic culture, family heritage traditions, food, flora, and fauna. Seeing the intersection between the people and environment of Iceland increased the students’ appreciation for the way local efforts toward conservation impact the local environment and the world.

“We had a moment of reflection and meditation, resting on the glistening, yet slowly melting ice, manifesting in us an appreciation for the beauty of mother earth as well as our influence on the future of the planet ... We [later] debriefed and then discussed the impact of climate change and our roles in shaping the future of the glaciers but also our own.”

TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO 15 Upper School Students Visit Borderplex Region to Explore International Relations, Immigration, and Politics

Fifteen rising eleventh and twelfth graders visited the US/Mexico border, including El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, in a study of international relations, immigration, and politics. The trip was developed in partnership with World Leadership School (WLS), whose mission is to empower young leaders to find innovative solutions to the world’s pressing problems. In addition to WLS guides, the students were joined by RCDS chaperones Director of Global Studies Dan Murray and Director of Public Purpose Rebecca Drago.

The nearly 2,000-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico sees 350 million legal crossings annually, making it the world’s busiest border. The more remote areas of the border see another estimated 500,000 illegal entries, and the U.S. government is ramping up efforts to better secure the border and pass immigration reform. While the debate over U.S. immigration rages on, a tight-knit community of government and nonprofit agencies continues to adapt to the ebbs and flows of migration over the border near El Paso and Las Cruces.

Immersing themselves in the Mexican/American culture that exists in the region, students deepened their understanding of timely current issues with global and local implications. The group stayed on the U.S. side of the border throughout the duration of the program. Each night the students and adults participated in an ANCHOR activity (Appreciation, News, Concerns, Health, Oh Wow! Reflection) to debrief and reflect on the day’s learning. In addition, a special feature of this trip was “going offline,” which means all students chose to leave their phones at home to enhance their experience.

Upon arrival, students gazed at Murchison Park that overlooks the Rio Grande Valley and offers a clear view of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and “the stark border wall that divides them,” as one student journaled. The trip’s first official destination was the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, where students learned about the history of borderland ranching and farming. Detailing ranch life, the exhibit featured tractors, agricultural exhibits, blacksmithery, and livestock.

From the museum, the group journeyed to the Chamizal National Memorial, driving along the border and observing the colorful architecture of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. At the memorial, they learned about the United States’s construction of the channel in 1963 to control the ever-changing Rio Grande, which forms the border between Mexico and the US. The group paused to appreciate a stunning mural, depicting a Thanksgiving scene between the Spaniards and Indigenous People. At Annunciation House, a shelter for asylum seekers, students heard from a founding member Ruben Garcia, who offered new perspectives on the reasons people leave home.

Exploring the legislative aspect of border relations, the students visited the Federal Court in Las Cruces, NM, where they were guided by the director of outreach for the Border Servant Corps. They observed the preliminary criminal hearings of 21 defendants. Though court hearings were held in English, there was a translator supporting the defendants, the majority of whom were Spanish speakers. After the hearings concluded, students had the opportunity to speak with the judge and ask questions about his experience and expertise.

Another highlight of the trip was a conversation with an immigration lawyer, which covered a variety of topics, including the distinction between asylees and refugees, the process of seeking asylum, the steps required to become a U.S. citizen, and the differences in the visa application process based on country of origin.

Having explored the legal aspect of immigration, the group met with two border patrol officers, who offered their insights into the border crisis. The students were interested in learning about the motivation of these offers to support lawful and safe immigration.

At the Border Servant Corps’ main facility, students toured around the premises and saw where migrants stay while arranging for transportation to their US sponsor. They met the various employees in the travel and medical departments who support the safe and healthy passage of migrants, and had a conversation about immigration with ACLU investigative journalist Leonardo Castañeda. Mr. Castañeda discussed the asylum application process, ICE detention facilities, instances of Border Patrol abuse, and the treacherous journey from all over the world to get to the US. He concluded the conversation stressing love for and belief in the fusion of Indigenous, Mexican, and American cultures in The Borderlands.

To better understand the indigenous perspective both within the borderlands and in Mexico, the group visited the Weaving For Justice collective, which produces textiles supporting Maya women in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Students learned about the challenges faced by the Maya people, including government persecution and gang violence.

At the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Cultural Center, Rick Quezada shared the history of the Pueblo tribe that has lived along the Rio Grande. Students were moved to learn about the injustices that Mr. Quezada’s tribespeople have endured, starting with the Spanish, and extending to the federal government today.

Carmen Hernandez, a Juarez native who had traveled across the border, shared her story while the group made Gorditas together. Carmen shared her own immigration story, chronicling her upbringing in Juarez and her adoption of her daughter, who suffered from spina bifida and epilepsy. Carmen decided to cross the border without proper documentation in order to obtain the care her daughter needed, which was only available in the U.S. The students were struck by Carmen’s message emphasizing the importance of caring for all people, regardless of their financial status.

“I had an amazing experience being in Spain today. Being able to utilize language skills I’ve developed in the past 4 years of high school was a very surreal experience. I ended up having a fun conversation with a pair of restaurant owners in Avila who knew zero English, and surprised myself as I was able to hold my own and immerse myself in the language without a safety net. I’m happy I was able to get the chance to use my Spanish in a real situation and find success in taking a leap into something unfamiliar— in a foreign country!”

SPAIN

Upper School Concert Choir Travels to Spain

The Upper School Concert Choir traveled to Spain during Spring Break. The students performed three concerts during their six-day trip, which included stops in Segovia, Toledo, Avila, Salamanca, and Madrid. The concerts took place in Salamanca, Segovia, and Illescas (just outside Madrid). In addition to performing, the students explored historic sites, used their Spanish language skills, connected with Spanish high school students, and enjoyed local cuisine.

Organized by the RCDS Music Department and Opus Performance Tours, the trip featured many memorable highlights including:

• The medieval walled city of Avila founded in 1090 AD and home to the The Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria

• The town of La Granja de San Ildefonso with its Royal Palace and Gardens of the same name – modeled after Versailles.

• Salamanca University (founded in 1218), the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe

• Salamanca’s 12th-century Romanesque Cathedral Catedral Vieja de Santa Maria, where the choir performed to a packed house.

• Salamanca’s beautiful town square Plaza Mayor.

• Segovia’s Alcázar castle and the monolithic Roman Aqueduct.

• Concepcionistas Segovia: Colegio Bilingüe, a bilingual School where the students performed and met local high school students.

• The fortress city of Toledo, once home to Arab, Christian, Jewish, Roman, and Visigoth inhabitants.

• Madrid’s Prado museum

• A paella dinner and flamenco performance at the restaurant Tablao Flamenco La Quimera near Plaza Mayor in Madrid

—Student Journal Excerpt

“Through travel programs, our students are able to observe the interconnection between individuals and systems. The experience of connecting with others nurtures an awareness about the ways our actions affect and are affected by the actions of others. This awareness in turn lays a foundation for our students to make meaningful contributions to their broader communities, large and small, throughout their lives.”

– Dan Murray, Director of Global Studies

INTERNATIONAL ARTEFFECT COMPETITION WINNER

In May, Celine Fong ’24 won the Grand Prize award for the Lowell Milken Center for the Unsung Heroes 8th Annual International ARTEFFECT competition. The competition challenges students to creatively interpret the stories of unsung heroes through original works of art, in order to share these untold stories from across history with their communities. Celine’s oil painting, A Beacon of Hope, depicts the story of Abdol Hossein Sardari, an Iranian diplomat who saved thousands during World War II by secretly issuing passports in Nazi-occupied France. He was also the sole Iranian diplomat who remained in Paris during the occupation, where he convinced the Germans to exempt Jugutis—a term for the descendants of Persian Jews who continued to practice Judaism—from Nazi anti-Jewish measures. From her artist impact statement, Celine said, “Through learning more about his journey and evaluating a man who believed that his own agency could empower those around him, I truly believe that one person can make a significant difference and enact change even within the boundaries of systemic oppression… In reaffirming the unacknowledged heroes from the past, we have the power to amplify their contributions, preserve their memories, and better comprehend our collective history to engender a well-informed future.” Out of all the submissions from high school and middle school students across the globe, Celine was one of just nine winners selected. The judging panel consisted of Lowell Milken Center’s executive leadership, as well as visual arts experts at the Skirball Cultural Center, CalArts, Museum of Ventura County, and ArtCenter College of Design. The award-winning works will be displayed in the Lowell Milken Center’s Hall of Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, a museum and research center.

VISUAL ARTS

CELINE FONG ’24 & RUTH ZHAO ’23 WIN NATIONAL GOLD MEDALS IN 2023 SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

After winning a combined 21 awards at the regional level, Celine Fong ’24 and Ruth Zhao ’23 were named Gold Medalists at the national level in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Celine won two gold medals for her paintings, Infrared Burnout and The Seafood Connoisseur’s Guide To Fine Dining In 2030 (pictured right). Ruth won gold for her painting, Mimesis (pictured left). Celine and Ruth will be honored at an awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are considered the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Submissions are judged by luminaries in the visual and literary arts. This year, over 100,00 students submitted over 250,000 works of art and writing to the Scholastic Awards this year. Less than 2,000 earned national medals.

2023 TIDAL SHIFT AWARD WINNER

Ellen Chen ’24 won a 2023 Tidal Shift Award for her painting Fragile, which depicts a girl rescuing piglets from rising flood waters. Tidal Shift Awards are prizes for young artists in the Northeast who want to solve climate crises. In her artist statement, Ellen shared, “Fragile aims to draw attention to how we are creating human-made disasters which in turn are affecting villages that often cannot get help. Far away in distant cities, we go about our daily lives, unaware of how our lifestyle practices affect others around the planet. We need to care for our world because this is our only chance”. With the motto Inspire Change Through Art, Tidal Shift is a juried competition comprised of leaders in the field of science, advocacy, academia, and the arts, who believe in the need for new ways to address a crisis that is otherwise too easily ignored. The program’s goal to leverage the power of socially-aware artworks, awarding and platforming teenagers and young adults focused on climate change solutions. Ellen is one of three winners in the Division 1 (ages 14-18) category. The competition received over 500 artworks.

NEW YORK ALLIANCE FILM FESTIVAL MEDALISTS

James Kolodner ’25 and Josh Greene ’25 were awarded medal certificates at the New York Alliance Film Festival. James earned a silver award for his RCDS Honors Filmmaking project “Reliving the Past.” Josh won bronze for his Video 2 project “Monday.” All winning films were screened in person at Packer Collegiate in Brooklyn. The New York Alliance Film Festival started in 2015 with the goal of connecting independent school students with an interest in film from high schools all over New York State.

James Kolodner Josh Greene

2023 SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

Twenty-eight RCDS students were recognized by the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. A jury of leaders in the visual and literary arts blindly judge student submissions on the basis of the awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision. Student talent and skill are acknowledged by a Gold Key Award (top honor), Silver Key Award, or Honorable Mention. Congratulations to all the honorees!

SOFIA CASTAÑEDA ’24

Honorable Mention

Pensamientos (Photography)

The Natural Growth of Trauma: An Analysis of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Critical Essay)

ELLEN CHEN ’24

Gold Key

Grandma’s Future Recipe (Mixed Media)

Chamber Music Program Poster (Design)

COVID Companion (Drawing & Illustration)

My Mochi (Comic Art)

Silver Key

Crustacean Invasion (Printmaking)

Spiraled Mind (Photography)

Tender Misery (Painting) -

Trampled Ambitions (Painting)

Honorable Mention

Creatures of the Sea within Us (Painting)

Fungal Dream (Sculpture)

Internal Turmoil (Painting)

Quiet Memory (Photography)

Survival in the Mud (Drawing & Illustration)

EILEEN DENG ’23

Silver Key Lonely Paradise (Photography)

Skim Milk Slopes (Photography)

Honorable Mention Fleeting Fireflies (Photography)

WILLOW EDWARDS ’25

Silver Key Intermittent Showers (Ceramics & Glass)

CELINE FONG ’24

Gold Key Infrared Burnout (Painting) Pinning Undercurrents (Mixed Media) The Seafood Connoisseur’s Guide To Fine Dining In 2030 (Painting)

Silver Key yellow marrow, squares of nectar sugar (Poetry)

Honorable Mention a collective crisis (Digital Art) kiln-fired clay (Personal Essay & Memoir) Maladaptive Night Cycle (Film & Animation) Sage Keepsakes (Painting) Threading the Gap (Mixed Media)

MICHAEL GONEOS ’27

Honorable Mention His & Hers (Short Story)

MINA KIM ’24

Silver Key

Our Benevolent Dictator (Humor)

Honorable Mention Breathing (in four movements) (Poetry) Walk The Line (Photography)

ILLARIA LIEDTKE ’27

Gold Key

Albeit Wingless and Caged (Poetry) Autumn Hues of a Girl in Quiet Dissent (Poetry) Beauty & Pain & Intersection (Poetry)

Drifting Desire of the Heart (Poetry) On Surviving Weeds (Poetry)

Silver Key Blueblooded (Poetry) Fledgling Memories (Poetry) Queenless (Painting)

Honorable Mention Mud, Wingless (Poetry)

EMMA MAINI ’27

Honorable Mention

Media Censorship (Drawing & Illustration)

FELIX MAO ’27

Gold Key Practice Makes Perfect (Painting)

Honorable Mention A Glimpse of the Past (Painting)

JULIETTE MOORE ’27

Silver Key

Christmas Lights (Photography)

Piazza Di Notte (Photography)

Take Me For A Ride (Photography) Take Off (Photography)

Tropical Storm (Ceramics & Glass)

Honorable Mention

A Long Journey (Photography)

Chinatown Pub (Photography) Come Play With Me (Photography)

East + West = Strength (Mixed Media)

Horse Guard (Photography)

Misty (Photography)

Non-Living to Living (Comic Art) Shifting Between Two Worlds (Personal Essay & Memoir)

What Eighth Grade Leadership Should Look Like (Personal Essay & Memoir)

AMBIKA NOTT ’25

Honorable Mention From Scales to Skin (Short Story)

SPACE PACE ’24

Honorable Mention

Letter of Advice: Living while Autistic (Personal Essay & Memoir) -

JARED PERLMUTTER ’24

Honorable Mention Sunset Splash (Photography)

ANNA PICKETTE ’24

Gold Key Scorpion’s Cave (Photography)

Honorable Mention Dust Settled (Photography)

ISABELA PIERRY ’25

Honorable Mention 3 Marias (Poetry) Bis (Poetry) The Stool in the Garden (Poetry)

LEO ROTH ’25

Silver Key Exobotanica (Flash Fiction) Peregrination (Poetry)

ETHAN SCHALES ’25

Gold Key Rhetoric in The Line Becomes a River (Critical Essay)

Silver Key

Reputation in The Crucible and the Effects of High Expectations (Critical Essay)

Honorable Mention

Ultimate Literature Classics Plot Summary (Humor) -

OLIVIA SICA ’24

Gold Key

Strange Trees (Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation)

Silver Key

Holy Smoking Gun (Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation)

What’s in Style (Editorial Cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation)

Honorable Mention

Lovesick Teenage Girls (Drawing & Illustration)

JAMES SONG ’25

Gold Key Probability Hybrid Megayacht (Architecture & Industrial Design)

Silver Key

Everything That Could Have Happened (Science Fiction & Fantasy)

The Final Breaking of Daylight (Novel Writing) NeoAD Hover Car (Architecture & I ndustrial Design)

MagneTube High-Speed Maglev (Architecture & Honorable Mention Industrial Design) The Sphere (Poetry)

ALEXANDRA STEYN ’27

Silver Key Defenders of Olympus (Novel Writing)

DAISY STUART ’24

Silver Key Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Answer Do (Poetry)

ISABEL TIBURCIO ’24

Gold Key Dear Girl in English Class (Personal Essay & Memoir)

Honorable Mention Dreaming Lottery Numbers (Poetry) Uncharted Nothingness (Poetry)

ROBERT WANG ’25

Honorable Mention A Kingdom In Turmoil (Novel Writing)

YOYO WANG ’24

Silver Key Inflation (Photography)

DONNA ZHANG ’24

Gold Key

On Canvas, Drips Yellow Paint (Poetry) The Only Thing Love Brings Is Pain (Flash Fiction)

Silver Key Beautiful like Laolao (Poetry)

Honorable Mention Fathomless (Photography)

A Moonlight Sonata (Poetry)

Seeing Baba Cry (Personal Essay & Memoir)

RUTH ZHAO ’23

Gold Key

Ephemeral Past (Painting) Mimesis (Painting)

Shedding Porcelain Skins (Painting)

Silver Key Abacus (Mixed Media)

Conjugate (Expanded Projects)

Heart Resides (Digital Art)

Oracle Bones (Drawing & Illustration) Root (Digital Art)

Trailblazers (Art Portfolio)

Honorable Mention Devotion (Expanded Projects) Vessel (Expanded Projects)

KEIRA ZHENG ’25

Honorable Mention Finding Equality (Critical Essay)

NYSSMA ALL-STATE HONORS

The New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) sponsors approximately 145 solo and small ensemble and major ensemble festivals in New York State each spring. Seven RCDS musicians participated in the 2022 NYSSMA Area All-State Ensemble on Saturday, November 5, in White Plains. Students were selected based on their high scores in the NYSSMA solo festival last spring.

AREA ALL-STATE BAND

Jaymin Ding ’25 (Bb Clarinet)

Samuel Kobi ’24 (Alto Saxophone)

AREA ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA

Ronald Feng ’24 (Cello)

Emily Kolodner ’23 (Viola)

Emilie Ward ’23 (Violin)

Casey Wu ’24 (String Bass)

Jordan Zhao ’24 (Cello)

Jaymin Ding

Samuel Kobi

Ronald Feng Emily Kolodner

Emilie Ward

Casey Wu

Jordan Zhao

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES & RECOGNITIONS

Last November, the WildScats sang the national anthem at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at the final game of the Legends Classic college basketball tournament. Led by Music Department Chair and WildScats Director Mary Marcell, the WildScats gave a beautiful performance of The Star-Spangled Banner.

DRAMA & DANCE

from among the many voice students at Concordia Conservatory to perform three duets with Broadway singer Melissa Errico. Her favorite of the three was the duet For Good from Wicked

At the 2023 Metro Awards on June 12, Rye Country Day School won Outstanding Performance of a Production Number for When You’re an Addams, which was performed as part of the Upper School Musical, The Addams Family. Several members of the cast, crew, and production team attended the ceremony at Tarrytown Musical Hall to accept the award on behalf of the School.

Overall, the RCDS Upper School musical was nominated for six Metro Awards recognizing student actors and crew, as well as faculty members, for their exemplary theatrical contributions:

• Outstanding Performance of a Production Number: When You’re an Addams

• Outstanding Acting Performance by a Male-identifying Performer: Adé Larsen ’23

• Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design: Jac-que Robinson and Steven Loftus

• Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design: Jac-que Robinson

• Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Makeup Design: Casey Hallen

• Outstanding Student Technical Achievement: Olivia Craig ’23, Tati Leonard ’23, and Sydney Merrill ’23

The Metro Awards recognize the best in high school musicals from across Westchester, Bergen, Rockland, and Putnam counties. This year, the program returned after a three-year pandemic hiatus with 56 competition entrants: 25 schools from Westchester, 23 from Bergen, five from Rockland, and three from Putnam.

Francesca Ricciarini ’24 was chosen

Olivia Craig, Tati Leonard, and Sydney Merrill

Jac-que Robinson and Casey Hallen Adé Larsen Cast and Crew of The Addams Family

RCDS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

FALL 2022 VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY 2022 NYSAIS Championship12th overall title!

WINTER 2023 BOYS’ VARSITY SQUASH 2023 NYSAIS Championship

WINTER 2023

BOYS’ FENCING EPEE

David John Jones III ’23, Ray Cao ’26, Griffin Eubanks ’23, Jordan Zhao ’24, David Kern ’25, Matthew Lee ’26 (not pictured)

WINTER 2023

BOYS’ VARSITY SQUASH

2023 Division II National Championship

SPRING 2023 BOYS’ GOLF 2023 NYSAIS Championship

Sebastian Huet ’24 qualified to represent RCDS at the New York State Federation Championship.

RCDS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

SPRING 2023 GIRLS’ GOLF 2023 NYSAIS Championship

Angela Yu ’26 qualified to represent RCDS at the New York State Federation Championship.

SPRING 2023

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD

2023 FAA Championship

FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, Rye Country Day School received the Fairchester Athletic Association’s Allan D. Hall Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes outstanding displays of sportsmanship by athletes, coaches, and fans. The award is granted based upon a cumulative rating system for each team by opposing coaches. Rating begins in the fall season and continues through the winter and spring seasons. Go, Wildcats!

*Team photo-not a complete representation of the Girls’ team, as photo was taken during a week of AP Exams.

50TH ANNUAL GOLDEN DOZEN AWARD HONOREES

In April, the Westchester Chapter of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame hosted the 50th annual Golden Dozen Awards Banquet. Henry Cohn ’23 (pictured right) and Michael McGhee ’23 (pictured left) were honored and celebrated as members of the Chapter’s 2023 Scholar-Athlete list, which was based on performance both on the field and in the classroom during the senior year.

Henry and Michael will continue their academic and athletic careers in college this fall at the University of Chicago and Brown University, respectively.

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

GIRLS’ FAA TRACK - SPRING

Mary Grace Eubanks ’25 placed first in Triple Jump at the FAA Championship.

Jocelyn Rice ’27 earned a first-place finish in Long Jump at the FAA Championship.

Gabriela Schlumberger ’25 finished in first in High Jump at the FAA Championship.

Isabel Slippen ’23 earned two first-place finishes in the 800m and the 3000m at the FAA Championship.

BOYS’ TRACK - SPRING FAA

Joaquin Gonzalez ’25 placed first at the FAA Championship in the Long Jump.

NYSAIS

Jack de Haan ’24 finished in first place in the Steeplechase at the NYSAIS Championship and represented RCDS at the NYS Federation Championship Meet.

Stephen Vumbacco ’23 finished in first place in the Pole Vault at the NYSAIS Championship, tying the RCDS record with his 10 ft. jump.

GIRLS’ GOLF - SPRING

Claire Yu ’25 was the 2023 NYSAIS Individual Champion in golf, shooting the lowest score of the Championship (36).

Mary Grace Eubanks

Stephen Vumbacco

Gabriela Schlumberger

Isabel Slippen

Joaquin Gonzalez

Jocelyn Rice

Jack de Haan

Claire Yu

*Students who are in the RCDS Middle School at the time of publication are listed with their first names and last initials.

FAIRCHESTER ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

Two RCDS student-athletes, Ben Mathias ’23 and Isabel Slippen ’23, were named Fairchester Athletic Association Scholar-Athletes. The FAA Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to seniors who have reached the highest academic standards, while playing a minimum of two varsity sports and earning FAA All-League honors. FAA ScholarAthletes take the most challenging courses and place in the top 20% of their senior class.

Ben Mathias complemented his excellent academic track record with an equally impressive athletic career. During his junior Squash season, he received the Wildcat Award, received FAA All-League honors, and led the team in capturing the 2022 NYSAIS Championship. In his senior year, Ben was named a 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist and earned three varsity letters in soccer and four in squash. For his outstanding performance on the Boys’ Soccer team, he received the Wildcat Award. He was also voted Squash captain and again earned FAA All-League honors, leading the Wildcats to two championship titles, the 2023 U.S. High School Squash Nationals (Division II) and the 2023 NYSAIS Championship. Ben will continue his academic and squash career at the University of Pennsylvania.

Isabel Slippen showed passion and excellence in the classroom and on the track. A three-season athlete, Isabel made incredible strides on Rye Country Day’s Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field, and Outdoor Track & Field teams, earning a total of 10 varsity letters during her Upper School years. During her junior and senior years, she was a three-time captain, NYSAIS Indoor Champion in the 1000-meter run, and a competitor at the New York State Federation Championships. She concluded her Upper School athletic career as the 2023 FAA Champion in the 800- and 3000-meter runs. She also placed second in the 1500-meter run, scoring the most single points for the Girls’ Track team and leading the team to the first-ever FAA Championship in RCDS history. Isabel will continue her academic and athletic career at Colgate University, competing on the cross country and track & field teams.

AJ PISACANO ’23 USA LACROSSE ALLACADEMIC TEAM

AJ Pisacano ’23 was named to the USA Lacrosse All-Academic Team, a prestigious award given to a player who exhibits exemplary lacrosse skills and good sportsmanship on the field, and represents high standards of academic achievement in the classroom. As a senior captain this past season, AJ earned FAA AllLeague Second Team honors and received Rye Country Day’s 2023 Effinger Coaches Award. AJ also received the RCDS Richard LeMaire Award, which is given to the RCDS student who has contributed the most to the athletic program in multiple sports of the school by virtue of leadership, cooperation, sportsmanship, team spirit and skill. AJ matriculates at Georgetown University this fall.

CLASS OF 2023 COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENT-ATHLETE

Eleven members of the Class of 2023 will continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. The RCDS community is excited to support our Wildcats as they take the next step in their athletic careers

Luke Beyer ’23, Hamilton College, Baseball

Henry Cohn ’23, University of Chicago, Football

Sabrina Fang ’23, Princeton University, Fencing

Kevin Francella ’23, The College of William and Mary, Baseball

Matthew Liew ’23, University of Chicago, Tennis

Ben Mathias ’23, University of Pennsylvania, Squash

Michael McGhee ’23, Brown University, Football

Luke Millowitz ’23, Denison University, Football

Trinity Parameswaran ’23, Columbia University, Soccer

Nick Roddy ’23, University of Richmond, Tennis

Isabel Slippen ’23, Colgate University, Cross Country and Track & Field

AJ Pisacano

2023 College-Bound Student-Athletes

SPRING 2023 VARSITY SPORTS AWARDS

On May 30, the Athletic Department hosted the Spring Sports Awards, honoring and celebrating all of our varsity athletes. It was an exciting season for all of our 2023 spring athletic teams, with the Wildcats capturing titles in Boys’ Golf (NYSAIS), Girls’ Golf (NYSAIS), and Girls’ Track & Field (FAA).

BASEBALL

FAA ALL-LEAGUE FIRST TEAM: Kevin Francella ’23

FAA ALL-LEAGUE SECOND TEAM: Luke Beyer ’23

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Blake James ’25

ALL-NEPSAC ALL-LEAGUE: Kevin Francella ’23

COACHES AWARD: Aveer Pandey ’23

WILDCAT AWARD: Kevin Francella ’23

2024 CAPTAINS: Buck Coquillette ’24, Patrick Leonard ’24

BOYS’ GOLF

2023 NYSAIS CHAMPIONS

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Nicky Smith ’25

COACHES AWARD: Nicky Smith ’25

WILDCAT AWARD: Sebastian Huet ’24

2024 CAPTAINS: Ryan Herman ’24, Sebastian Huet ’24, Nicky Smith ’25

GIRLS’ GOLF

2023 NYSAIS CHAMPIONS

FAA ALL-LEAGUE: Kate Burdick ’24, Angela Yu ’26

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Claire Yu ’25

NYSAIS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION: Claire Yu ’25

COACHES AWARD: Claire Yu ’25

WILDCAT AWARD: Kate Burdick ’24

2024 CAPTAINS: Melanie Asness ’25, Kate Burdick ’24, Claire Yu ’25

BOYS’ LACROSSE

FAA ALL-LEAGUE FIRST TEAM: Alec Davis ’24

FAA ALL-LEAGUE SECOND TEAM: AJ Pisacano ’23, Milin Torgalkar ’26, Nick Vlasto ’24

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Joseph Rafferty ’26

ALL-NEPSAC ALL-LEAGUE: Nick Vlasto ’24

ALL-NEPSAC HONORABLE MENTION: Alex Pearle ’23

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN: AJ Pisacano ’23

FRANK EFFINGER AWARD: AJ Pisacano ’23

RAY KONOPKA AWARD: Nick Vlasto ’24

2024 CAPTAINS: Ben Cousin ’24, Nick Vlasto ’24, Turner Wolf ’25

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

FAA ALL-LEAGUE FIRST TEAM: Leigh Smith ’23, Maya Torgalkar ’27

FAA ALL-LEAGUE SECOND TEAM: Grace Allen ’24, Cameron Song ’24

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Bailey Donovan ’27

WNEPSWLA ALL-STAR: Grace Allen ’24, Bailey Donovan ’27

ALL-NEPSAC ALL-LEAGUE: Leigh Smith ’23, Maya Torgalkar ’27

ALL-NEPSAC HONORABLE MENTION: Elle Mason ’27, Cameron Song ’24

DENISE FRANCELLA COACHES AWARD: Julia Marrinan ’23

WILDCAT AWARD: Leigh Smith ’23

2024 CAPTAINS: Grace Allen ’24, Brynn Coady ’24, Morgan Harvey ’24

SAILING

COACHES AWARD: Hayden Hart ’25

RYAN B. MAHONEY AWARD: Adé Larsen ’23

2024 CAPTAINS: Connor Davidson ’24, Stella Maymin ’24, Connor Rusch ’25

SOFTBALL

FAA ALL-LEAGUE: SECOND TEAM: Bella Andrade ’23

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Willow Edwards ’25

ALL-NEPSAC HONORABLE MENTION: Willow Edwards ’25

WNEPSGSBA HONORABLE MENTION: Willow Edwards ’25

COACHES AWARD: Isa Pierry ’25

WILDCAT AWARD: Bella Andrade ’23

2024 CAPTAINS: Willow Edwards ’25, Anna Pickette ’24

BOYS’ TENNIS

FAA ALL-LEAGUE: Ronen Borkar ’23, Andrew Cheigh ’23, Lincoln Feng ’26, Naki Pekarovic ’24

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Arnav Vyas ’25

COACHES AWARD: Lincoln Feng ’26

WILDCAT AWARD: Andrew Cheigh ’23

2024 CAPTAINS: Alex Cohen ’24, Francisco Luz ’25

GIRLS’ TENNIS

FAA ALL-LEAGUE: Liz Kavanagh ’24, Sofie Petricone ’23

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Ana Petricone ’25

COACHES AWARD: Maddy Leslie ’23, Sofie Petricone ’23, Avery Smith ’23

WILDCAT AWARD: Sofie Petricone ’23

2024 CAPTAINS: Liz Kavanagh ’24, Dani Penn ’24, Julia Wallach ’24

BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD

FAA ALL-LEAGUE: Joaquin Gonzalez ’25 (long jump champion), Michael McGhee ’23 (javelin) and 4x100 Meter Relay (Ricardo Coates ’23, Cole Denson ’24, Michael McGhee ’23, Luca Strazzini ’24)

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Esaias Gonzalez ’25 (300-meter hurdles, 400-meter run)

NYSAIS CHAMPION: Stephen Vumbacco ’23 (pole vault), Jack de Haan ’24 (3000m steeplechase)

FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE: Esaias Gonzalez ’25 (400-meter hurdles), Jack de Haan ’24 (steeplechase), Luca Strazzini ’24 (pole vault), Stephen Vumbacco ’23 (pole vault)

COACHES AWARD: Michael McGhee ’23

WILDCAT AWARD: Jack de Haan ’24

2024 CAPTAINS: Jack de Haan ’24, Cole Denson ’24, Dylan Garbutt ’24, Jared Perlmutter ’24, Ethan Roque ’24

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD

2023 FAA CHAMPIONS

FAA ALL-LEAGUE:

Alexa Daddi-Melino ’25 (300-meter hurdles), Mary Grace Eubanks ’25 (triple jump champion), Madison Haft-Abromovitch ’24 (shot put), Jocelyn Rice ’27 (long jump champion), Gabriela Schlumberger ’25 (high jump champion), Isabel Slippen ’23 (800-meter champion,1500-meter run, 3000-meter champion), Keira Zheng ’25 (100-meter hurdles), 4x400 Meter Relay, (Alexa Daddi-Melino ’25, Mary Grace Eubanks ’25, Taeko Fueno ’25, Jocelyn Rice ’27)

FAA HONORABLE MENTION: Cleo Saltz ’24 (800-meter run)

FIRST TEAM ALL-STATE: Alexa Daddi-Melino ’25 (400-meter hurdles)

COACHES AWARD: Olivia Craig ’23

WILDCAT AWARD: Mina Kim ’24

2024 CAPTAINS: Mina Kim ’24, Cleo Saltz ’24

FACULTY AWARDS

CELEBRATING OUTSTANDING FACULTY & STAFF CONTRIBUTIONS

During the annual Employee Tea, faculty and staff come together to reflect on the school year and celebrate exceptional individual accomplishments of their fellow colleagues. To mark the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year, on June 1, 2023, Head of School Randall Dunn presented awards and fellowships, and honored retiring employees and those who are celebrating 20+years of employment at RCDS.

ANNIVERSARIES

30 Years of Service

JOHNNY FLYNN

Upper School Humanities Teacher

20 Years of Service

SARA INGRASSIA

Lower School Mathematics Coordinator

RICHARD KNAZIK

Physical Education Teacher & Coach

KELLY MELANDRO

Director of the Annual Fund

PAMELA SHEEHY

Upper School Spanish Teacher

RETIREES

RCDS thanks these employees for their service and wishes them all the best in their next chapters

MARK BORTNER

Middle School Science Teacher

2005-2023 (18 years)

SUSAN KARTZMER

Extended Day Director

2016 - 2023 (7 years)

SUE KEOWN

Middle School Art Teacher

2011-2023 (12 years)

AWARDS

Seniority Fellowship

Awarded to faculty and staff who have served Rye Country Day for over 10 years are eligible for one of five Seniority Fellowships.

JEFF BATES

Director of College Counseling, Grade 12 Dean

JOHN CALANDROS

Physical Education Teacher & Coach

ERIN MCDONALD

Middle School Language Arts Teacher

BETSY STEDMAN

Interim Middle School Principal

WHITNEY TURNER

Lower School Computer Science Teacher

Will McCurdy Memorial Award

Established in 2015 in memory of Will McCurdy ’05. Given in recognition of outstanding advising in the Upper School.

GEORGETTE SUMMERS

Assistant Director of Athletics

MATT CAVANAUGH

Upper School Spanish Teacher

Carol Lichtenfeld Memorial Award

Established in 2019 in memory of RCDS Teacher Carol Lichtenfeld. Given in recognition of outstanding Middle School advising.

TAMMY MCKENNA

Middle School Learning Specialist

Lower School Advising Award

Established in 2022 to recognize a Lower School teacher who went above and beyond in support of students.

KELLY BARKER

Lower School Psychologist

Frank Effinger Outstanding Coaching Award

Established in 2013 by Adam Friedlander ’79 in honor of longtime RCDS Coach and Field House Director Frank Effinger. Given in recognition of a member of the RCDS coaching staff for their outstanding service to RCDS.

ETHAN WHITE

Upper School Humanities Teacher

Johnny Flynn Sara Ingrassia Richard Knazik Kelly Melandro Pamela Sheehy

Mark Bortner

Susan Kartzmer Sue Keown

Established in 2010 in honor Linda Grossman, Administrative Assistant to the Head of School. Given in recognition of a staff member for their outstanding service to RCDS.

BINNS MOSS

Maintenance Supervisor

ENDOWED CHAIRS

Brockman Lower School Chair

MONIQUE CATERINA

Lower School Kindergarten Teacher

RCDS PA Chair

BAPTISTE BATAILLE

Upper School French Teacher

English Department Chair

ERIN MCDONALD

Middle School Language Arts Teacher

Class of 2006 Chair

KERRY LINDEROTH

Director of Sustainability

Wachenheim Family Chair

CLEMMIE EVERETT

Upper School Humanities Department Chair

KYLE MITSCHELE

Middle School Social Studies Department Chair

Lower School Chair

JOANNE AVENTURO

Lower School Grade 3 Teacher

Middle School Chair

AMANDA SACKEY

Middle School Science Teacher

Middle School Chair

RYAN HORTON

Middle School Language Arts Teacher

COHEN FELLOWSHIP FOR EXCELLENCE & INNOVATION

Through yearly Cohen Fellowship for Excellence & Innovation grants, Rye Country Day School actively advances the School’s commitment to pedagogical excellence and continual professional growth for employees. These grants afford Cohen Fellows the opportunity to develop their passion for education and stay current in their individual fields through innovative knowledge acquisition. Through the personal and professional endeavors associated with the receipt of this award, Cohen Fellows help the School to build upon its tradition of excellence through creativity and innovation.

BEATRICE DESABATINO

Middle School Classics Teacher

ERIN DOLAN

Upper School Art Teacher

KATY EVERETT

Upper School English Teacher

TAMEKA FARRELL-BOWMAN

Science Department Chair, Upper School Science Teacher

JOHNNY FLYNN

Upper School Humanities Teacher

JESS HAUBEN

Lower School Grade 3 Teacher

KATE HENEREY

Drama and Dance Department Chair

LIBBY JELLIFFE

Director of Learning Support Services (Pre-K12), Middle School Learning Specialist

ALEX KERKER

Lower School Learning Specialist

RAY MCGHEE

Director of Fitness Center, Upper School Physical Education Teacher

KELLY MELANDRO

Director of the Annual Fund

MAGGIE PARKER

Modern Languages Department Chair, Upper School French Teacher

JAC-QUE ROBINSON

Director of Performing Arts Spaces and AV Technology

MATT ROSOLEN

Grades 7 & 8 Dean, Middle School Mathematics

Teacher

DEBRA SIMPSON

Lower School Science Teacher

Linda Grossman Award

2023 Cohen Fellows with Head of School Randall Dunn