A large crowd gathered at Nugent Stadium on Friday night to celebrate 220 members of the Rye High School Class of 2024 on their graduation. Festivities began with all graduates, plus faculty, staff, and Board of Education members crossing the bridge and taking their places on the turf, and concluded with a collective cap toss amidst very light rain.
Principal Suzanne Short made opening remarks, saying, “While the traditional advice might be to tell you to go out and make us proud, my greatest wish for all of you is that you make yourselves proud. If you believe in yourselves the way that I believe in you, you no doubt will.” Retiring Board of Education member Chris Repetto got a chance to speak later on, also citing pride in oneself as a key takeaway for the Class of 2024 as part of his “pride, privilege, and honor” approach.
Superintendent Dr. Eric Byrne reflected on his arrival in Rye, which coincided with the class of 2024’s first year of middle school. He and many other speakers commended the graduates for preserving through the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted their first year as high schoolers in 2020. Dr. Byrne also highlighted the support of the graduates’ families and teachers, and he closed his speech with a reading of Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden by Edith Pattou, a children’s book about the care teachers give to their students.
Tucker Press delivered the Senior Oration, in which he spoke on the class of 2024’s ability to rally from the pandemic’s impact on their high school experience and other hardships. “COVID had nothing on us,” he said in his humorous yet heartfelt speech. He also referenced the athletic successes that the class of 2024 led the Rye Garnets to this year.
Niklas Hofmann’s Salutatory Address similarly congratulated the athletes among the graduating class and emphasized the way Rye residents come together to support their community. Valedictorian Amelia “Millie” Brooks called attention to the importance of community as well. “The unexpected moments of enjoyment and appreciation on a bland day are what set our community apart, and what make each milestone so special,” said Brooks. “When we look back on [those milestones], we’re really going to miss the relationships, the common passion, and the unity that shapes them.”
The musical interludes and Latin oration received some of the loudest applause of the evening. Speaking of loud, congratulations to the Lehmann family and Avery ‘24 for making the most noise during the diploma presentation! There were many audibly supportive families in attendance, but the Lehmanns stood out among the rest.
Here is the entire Class of 2024:
Jack Acciavatti
Ella V. Adin-Atherton
Philip Harry Alexopoulos
Marco Antonio Altamura
Felicia Mayuki Ambrogi
Thomas James Anderson
Erika Maxine Attar
Sierra Jane Baden
Aurora Baer
Eamon Rainsford Bagley
Henry Flynn Bagley
Derek Jackson Bahl
Garrett William Balls
Ty Finnian Bibas
Trent Charles Bisceglia
Oliver Levi Leonard Bisogni
Jessica Mary Bourne
Sophie Louise Bourne
Jack Robert Brennan
Jillian Paige Brensilver
Thomas James Broderick
Amelia Elle Brooks
Sydnee Dinita-Taylor Brown
Charlene Nha Bui
Lila Whitlock Byrne
Hannah Rose Cali
Jonathan P. Capaldi
Anthony J. Caridi
Magí M. Castelltort Yago
Erick Cedazo
Karenna Coffin Chader
Joseph Jian-Hua Chai
Baobo Chen
Evan Cheng
Giselle Tavi Chorost
Harrison Vincent Conn
Max Patrick Crothall
Matus Cukrovany
Delia Elizabeth Drouin Degnan
Erin C. Delfs
Charlotte J. Derman
Amalya Ella Devitre
Riley Elizabeth Donahue
Seth Dorfman
Sean Robert Draddy
Walid Dudin
James Addison George Durran
Nicolas Pollina Echlov
William Henry Eggers
Erin K. Ellis
James Christian Fazzalari
Giovanna Dipiazza Gonzales Ferreira
Hannah Fineberg
Mauro Flores
Christian Flosse
Jack Gerald Frenchman
Sofie Shiyun Fu
Delia Elizabeth Fuchs
Guendalina Girotto
Isabel Godden
Jason Joseph Gonzalez
Michael Joseph Gonzalez-Molina
Della Reed Goodman
Taylor Charlotte Gori
Justin Edward Gray
Shepherd Lloyd Griffiths
Guy Emir Guven
Shannon Kathleen Haines
Juliette Elizabeth Hamlen
Jiawen Hao
Gordon Sellers Hargraves III
Jeffrey Patrick Harrigan Jr.
Renord Gerrad Harrison
Hayden Gabriel Harvey
Isabel Victoria Harvey
Nicholas Heldman
Antonio Diego Hendler
Patrick James Hickey
Niklas L. Hofmann
Cameron David Holler
Ava Corinne Marie Hoogstra
Julie Maria Hovers
Shaddi Ibrahim
Logan John Jancski
Sydney Lauren Jones
Milena Jovanovic
Shannon Elizabeth Kaplan
Thalia Karajannis
Sophia Elizabeth Karl
Kathryn A. Keith
James L. Kennedy Jr.
Aine M. Kennelly
Meredith Joan Kenny
Ian George Khemlani
Samantha Nicole Khemlani
Margaret Rose Kirkpatrick
Polina Komarova
Eleanor Marieke Kruijtzer
Jamie Wyatt Lacombe
Holbrook David Langley
Andrew Latara
William Latara
Bryan Edward Francis Laverty
Alexander William Lee
Avery McLean Lehmann
Camila Alessandra Leon Bolivar
Aaron Zachary Leung
Clementine Levitt
James D. Lewis
Katharine M. Licis
Oliver Lincoln
Tayna Anais Lombardo
Isabela Lulaj
Hidaya Naima Machano
Charles Hanley Margiloff
Michael Joseph Maro
Alan Morgan Marusic
Gianna Kate Mazzilli
Patrick McEnroe
Maya McQueeney
Douglas Steven Mejia Rubio
Consiglia Rae Meloni
Eva Oliana Middleton
Avery John Miller
Sarai Aida Molina Mieses
Quinn Patrick Monaghan
Liam Miller Moran
Brandon Alexander Morgan
Ciara Lynn Morrissey
Jack Carl Morrissey
Hana Madison Murati
Gerald Mustafa
Michael Thomas Nolte
Ronan Mangan O’Byrne
Tilman Peter Oberbannscheidt
Lara Maya Oktay
Benjamin Anthony Orser
Takumi Otani
Finn Xavier Palermo
Henry Connor Paul
Matthew Paul Pellegrini
Chase William Pepper
Axel Akira Peters
Lillian Wade Peters
Noah James Poll
Justin Donovan Porter
Benjamin Chase Prata
Tucker G. Press
William R. Puzzuoli
Mathias A. Ramos Espinoza
Dorn Lee Redd III
Grace Elizabeth Regan
Grace Kiely Regan
Trevor Crawford Reno
Karis Evelyn Repetto
Layne Rigano
Aidan George Rinaldi
Emerson Ann Roche
Sofia Ann Rodrigues
Alyssa Ross
Grace B. Ruggiero
Scarlett K. Russo
Sage E. Ruttenberg
Samantha Grace Ryan
Morgan H. Salomon
Samantha Laura Keith Ibarra Salvador
Jake Daniel Sammon
Christian D. Santos Jr.
Reece Santosusso
Charles Thomas Saurack
Kendall Paige Scansaroli
Gabriella Emilia Scarperi
Karlee Marie Schadt
Dillon A. Schmidt
Emily Schmidt
Sophia Elizabeth Sciulli
Katherine Davenport Seitz
Alexander T. Sheth
Ella Sofia Sheth
Sophia Rose Shoemaker
Harper Finley Smith
Sjef J.M. Smits
Florian K. Soezer
William G. Soviero
Rebecca Anne Speas
William Squarek
Lukas Christian Steinmann
Charles Scotland Stevens
Jesse Philip Stigliano
Marra Sophia Storey
Laura Virginia Svoboda
Spencer G. Swiader
Sofia Tello
Matthew James Templeman
Piper Morgan Tenney
Paulina Tepan
Koen Martijn Abraham Terlouw
Bryan George Thomas
Cole Thomas
Sydney Barbara Tischman
Kieran Charles Traynor
Tyler Davis Triolo
Lucas Isamu Tsuchida
Akachukwu Reward Udeagha
Victoria Paige Vanneck
Ivan Vasyuta
Madelyn Leslee Walsh
Meredith Frances Ward
Angelina Dora Watnick
Haileymarie Edythe Watnick
Owen Edward John Welburn
Gunnar Read Wey
Lillian May Whaling
Ameer J. White
Mali Katrina White
Kyle Woods
Miles Reagan Woolsey
Dan Nonoguchi Yamaguchi
Spencer W. Yeh
Jake M. Zion
