Rye Neck’s Top 100:
Class of 2015- Rye Neck HIgh School

On June 25, the Rye Neck School District celebrated its 120th Commencement.

 

While the school band played “Pomp and Circumstance” filled the football field, families and friends applauded the 100 graduating seniors from the bleachers. Rye Neck High School Principal Barbara Ferraro called the Class of 2015, “a special group that is both community-minded and globally aware.”

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Superintendent Peter Mustich quoted Brené Brown’s “Daring Greatly,” as she iterated the words of Theodore Roosevelt “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” He encouraged the graduates to be strong, focused, and of service to others.

Salutatorian Cassie Chan, who is heading to the Stern School of Business at New York University in the fall, reminded her peers of all the “truly exceptional memories we’ve accumulated.” She was followed by Valedictorian Ekim Buyuk who was proud to report that the seniors accrued 14,000 hours of community service. “When we leave our Rye Neck bubble, we need to make sure not to lose who we already are,” said Buyuk, who is heading to Duke University. “Let’s take our brilliance with us and pay our goodness forward.”

In keeping with the “Ten Years After” theme that was initiated last year, alumna Elizabeth Flynn Meaney, Class of 2005 was the keynote speaker. The successful and inspiring author and artist advised the graduates to take advantage of all that college and life have to offer by “being just a little bit brave.”

Rye Neck Teachers’ Association Vice President Nora Hanson presented the Maureen Sullivan Scholarship to Thomas McCaffery for his motivation, service, and leadership. 

— Janice Llanes Fabry

 

The Graduates
Amanda Albert Ryan Allen Jodie Arvonio Michael Augustine Mark Babakian Hannah Barach Christopher Barajas Christopher Barrios Richard Barrios Léa Berlioz Marisa Bevilacqua Gabriella Bianco Dominic Brescia Cameron Broome Mikael Bucknavage Ekim Buyuk Joanna Calderon Christopher Campone Sophia Carolini Briana Cefaloni Cassie Chan Zachary Chmelecki Rachel Cohen Joseph Colasanti Manuel Corona Pedro Cueto Christopher Delarosa Salvatore DeRose Juliette D’Errico Kendall Edwards Maite Elias-Nava Marc Fischer Desi Flores Ramales Samuel Fraioli Dana Gallagher	Jessica Emma Cordiano Matthew Garofalo Daniel Gottlieb Kameron Greenland Karen Guerrero Kevin Hassenfratz Daniel Humphreys David Jackson Daniel Jayson Matthew Johnson Joseph Juliano Brandon Kates Diana King Victor Lam Samuel Lawhon Gabriel Lesser Shannon Liguori Joshua Lore Hunter Lyon Karolina Marszall Lauren Mastoloni Thomas McCaffery Kristofer McClain Alexandra McMillan Courtney McNally Nicole Miller Kathymarie Mitchell Nikki Napolitani Brendan Nashelsky Takuno Nishimura Rachel Novick Ryan O’Day Alessia Panetta Annalisa Panetta Kaitlyn Pillig Noah Ponticiello	Shawn Primrose Rocco Puccella Kayla Pugliese Ashley Ramirez Christopher Richart Nicholas Ritacco-Canessa Joseph Rodriguez Sara Rukeyser Renato Sansotta Alyssa Sensi Jake Sevean Andrew Smith Cory Soriano Aidan Spencer Anthony Strazza Alexander Styler Anna Swatski Yohabet Tejeida Caballero Maria Tito Fernando Toledo-Camargo Victoria Tripicchio Salvador Valencia Lauren Vallarelli Peter Veltri Alexis Vinzons Cayla Vinzons Lindsay Walther Oscar Ward Jack Webber Bram Wollowitz Samantha Yellen

 

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College Choices
American Musical & Dramatic Academy American University of Paris Bucknell University University of California, Los Angeles Capri College Central Connecticut State University College of Charleston Concordia College University of Connecticut Cornell University CUNY – John Jay College of Criminal Justice Dartmouth College University of Delaware Duke University Dutchess Community College Emerson College	Fordham University Georgia Institute of Technology Iona College Lafayette College Lehigh University Manhattan College Manhattanville College University of Massachusetts, Amherst Mercy College Merrimack College New England College New York University Northeastern University Pace University Sacred Heart University School of Visual Arts Siena College Suffolk University SUNY Albany	SUNY Binghamton SUNY Buffalo SUNY Cortland SUNY Delhi SUNY Geneseo SUNY Morrisville SUNY New Paltz SUNY Oneonta SUNY Oswego SUNY Stony Brook Syracuse University The College of Saint Rose The Ohio State University Union College University of Tampa Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Wesleyan University Westchester Community College