On Wednesday, May 27, Rye Country Day School hosted a Virtual Blue and Gold Dinner to officially welcome the Class of 2020 into the Alumni Association. Over 150 members of the RCDS community—seniors, alumni, administrators, faculty, and staff—participated in the live Zoom event, and there were a few very special surprise guests.
Alumni Executive Board President Scott Weiss '96 did the honors of bestowing alumni status on seniors, who are set to graduate on June 5 at a virtual graduation ceremony. The evening's student-nominated keynote speaker was Upper School English teacher Dr. David Lehner whose remarks were inspiring and assuring. He said to the soon-to-be graduates, "You will never lose the connection that you're feeling right now. And that sense of connection will make the transformations that you experience both in yourselves and then in each other all the more intriguing and prolific."
As the seniors applauded Dr. Lehner and reflected on his moving remarks, a few special surprises were on the way! Former White House Communications Director and ABC News Anchor George Stephanopoulos; two-time Super Bowl MVP winner and retired NY Giant quarterback Eli Manning; actor, comedian, writer, producer, and RCDS alumnus Nick Kroll '96; and American Television Journalist and presenter of CNN's Cuomo Prime Time Chris Cuomo each appeared on the screen to offer their personal congratulations and advice to the Class of 2020.The esteemed surprise guests acknowledged this challenging time in history and advised the seniors to look at their experience of graduating amidst historic uncertainty as an opportunity to become strong, resilient, and thoughtful leaders.
The night concluded with a message from the Kindergarten class, offering adorable and sage advice for the seniors as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. One savvy Kindergartner advised the seniors, ""Have fun [in college], make new friends, and do not talk back to your teachers!" Headmaster Scott Nelson, who emceed the festive evening, reminded seniors that seeing our students grow and thrive in their lives beyond RCDS brings meaning to the lives of our faculty and staff. He left them with an invitation to stay in touch and to visit the School as often as possible. RCDS will indeed always be home to our newest alumni!
It was a joyous and memorable inaugural alumni experience for the next generation of Rye Country Day leaders who have shown inspiring resilience and strength of character in addition to their outstanding achievements in the classroom and beyond.
A tradition at the Blue & Gold Dinner is the announcement of the Class Agents, who will represent the Class of 2020 and facilitate their meaningful engagement with the School, their peers, and other alumni for the next fifty years and beyond. Congratulations to Tess Asness, Laura Baine, Chris Connor, Abhi Kumar, Sabrina Rreznik, and Lucie Swan on their election as Class Agents!
VIEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE VIRTUAL BLUE & GOLD DINNER