The Class of 2021 poses for their last photo together.
Head of School Scott Nelson addressing the Class of 2021.Dr. Al Rizzi, The Featured Speaker Senior Class President Kyle Mandell
Photos by Dana Maxson Photography/Chris Taggart Photography
At Rye Country Day School’s 152nd Graduation Exercises, they recognized and celebrated the 102 members of the Class of 2021 at an in-person ceremony June 11 at Manhattanville College. The featured speakers were Senior Class President Kyle Mandell, Head of School Scott Nelson, and leading robotics engineer and alumnus Dr. Al Rizzi.
In his remarks, Dr. Rizzi touched on the benefits of the wide range of experiences and perspectives that a Rye Country Day education offers, and he encouraged the graduates to continue to develop their critical thinking skills and challenge themselves to learn and try new things throughout their lives.
After graduating from Rye Country Day School in 1982, he received his Bachelor of Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from Yale University. Dr. Rizzi is Chief Scientist at Boston Dynamics, a world leader in mobile robot design and engineering. Previously, he was a Senior Staff Roboticist at Google, an Associate Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan.
Head of School Scott Nelson spoke to the graduates’ high academic achievements, as well as their resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic and their inspiring strength of character, a core Rye Country Day value. He remarked, “You have far surpassed the School’s academic standards, and you have acquired the academic skills, a core body of knowledge, and an understanding of others that together will serve you well in the years ahead. You are critical thinkers who are able to unpack complex concepts, make connections across disciplines, and collaborate effectively to achieve incredible results. The world needs thinkers and doers like you.”
MATRICULATION LIST
American University (2)
Bates College (2)
Boston University
Bowdoin College (2)
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University (2)
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University (3)
University of Chicago (2)
Colby College
Colgate University (3)
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia University
Cornell University (3)
Drexel University
Duke University (2)
Emory University (3)
George Washington University
Georgetown University (3)
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University (3)
Howard University
Indiana University Bloomington
Kalamazoo College
Lehigh University (2)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College
Muhlenberg College
New York University (2)
Northeastern University (2)
Northwestern University (3)
Pomfret School
Pomona College
Princeton University (2)
Purchase College, SUNY
Purdue University
Rice University
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University
Stanford University
Tufts University (2)
Union College
University at Buffalo, SUNY
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Santa Barbara (3)
University of Georgia
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Miami (3)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Notre Dame (2)
University of Pennsylvania (3)
University of Richmond
University of St. Andrews, UK (2)
University of Southern California
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University (3)
Washington and Lee University
Wellesley College
Williams College (3)
Yale University (2)