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The Class of 2016 Graduates with Honors and Panther Pride

On Wednesday, May, 25, 2016, Ranney School’s Class of 2016 walked the Collins Arena stage at Brookdale Community College to receive their diplomas. Surrounded by more than 700 friends, faculty and family members, the graduates were proud to celebrate their exceptional tenure at Ranney—27 of whom have been at Ranney for 10 or more years. The ceremony was led by Head of School Dr. John W. Griffith, Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Brian Torpey and Head of the Upper School Division Ms. Katie Gibson, with performances by the Upper School Chorus and Orchestra.


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Valedictorian Sophia Jackman spoke to her peers about becoming problem solvers, saying: “One of the most important differences between humans and other living creatures is that we do not simply adapt to our surroundings, we modify them. The list of human accomplishments is long and impressive, but so is the list of problems to be solved…. The world has an abundance of multidimensional problems. However, we are also fortunate that it is human nature to see a problem and seek a solution. While we cannot necessarily know the job that will exist eight or ten years from now, our best chance to successfully address our challenges is to become problem solvers.” Sophia will attend Harvard University in the fall. View her full speech.

Jonathan Kelly addressed the friendships and community spirit among the class in his salutatorian address: “None of us could have arrived at this point without each other. We have picked each other up when we were down and supported each other when we needed it. There is no doubt that we have changed because of one another. Of course we have evolved in our friendships, interests, and knowledge over the course of four years, but more importantly, we really have changed ourselves as leaders.” Jonathan will attend Princeton University in the fall.

Leading up to graduation, the senior class participated in its annual Honors Convocation, Senior Walk across campus and Celebratory Dinner with their advisors. Seventy-eight students of the 79 member class have been accepted into top four-year universities in the fall; international student Yulin “Scott” Zhu will attend the Hotchkiss School for a postgraduate year. As part of the commencement ceremony, additional graduation awards were given by faculty members, as follows:

  • The Headmaster's Cup, given to the member of the senior class who best exemplifies the ideals embodied in the school’s motto: Jerome Cohen.
  • Gershom Tomlinson Award, given to the  member of the senior class who, in addition to his or her activities at Ranney School, has contributed with distinction to the betterment of the greater community: Grace Economou.
  • Faculty Prize given to one female and one male, for demonstrating a deep respect for intellectual values and a love of learning: Sarah Klein and Dean Parker.
  • Ann Kappel Citizenship & Service Award, given to a member of the senior class who has best demonstrated generosity of spirit and thoughtfulness to all, thus exemplifying those qualities most associated with Ms. Kappel, a former faculty member: Avneet Singh.
  • Margaret Mahon Award, given to a graduating senior who best exemplifies the qualities of good citizenship, helpfulness, courteousness and thoughtfulness, has maintained an excellent scholastic average, and has attended Ranney School since the early grades: Daniel Blumenkrantz.
  • Robert Paulus Leadership and Perseverance Award, given to a student in the senior class who, over many years at Ranney School, has met life’s experiences with a positive spirit and good humor, thereby serving as an inspiration to the Ranney community: Corey Natofsky.
  • Lawrence Sykoff Award, granted to a graduating senior who has made a thoughtful and conscientious commitment to a variety of pursuits, and whose participation in those programs has led to measurable personal growth, as well as a substantial contribution to the growth of the entire Ranney School community: James Geraghty.
  • Ranney School Leadership Award, given to the member of the senior class whose demonstrated, decisive and successful leadership has resulted in observable achievements that have enhanced the quality of life at school: Rachel Staats.
In addition to a benediction by English Faculty Member Doug Felter, Head of School Dr. Griffith addressed the class with what has become a tradition—the reading of an original poem (view it and the full speech here).  He further spoke to the class about the fact that the faculty—and the students’ families—“are both sad to see you leave Ranney but also happy to see you grow up…. You have matured intellectually to become perhaps one of the strongest in Ranney’s history. You have grown as actors, winning Basie nominations and awards, as artists, developing gallery quality work, as scientists and engineers, as athletes on our courts and fields, as student leaders.  You have been accepted to an impressive array of colleges not only in the states but also internationally.  So here we are. Commencement. The day stands before you like an open gate.”

Congratulations Class of 2016! View the students’ colleges of choice here. 

 
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.