"A big point of reflection for me is what it takes for students to become truly invested in their studies and their growth as learners. At my school, we know how important it is to instill that sense of intrinsic motivation among all of our students. I think back on my time at RCDS and try to pinpoint what shaped me into a student who was excited and driven to learn."

After graduating from Johns Hopkins University with bachelor’s degrees in international studies and Spanish, Marni served as a Teach for America Corps member in Baltimore, Maryland. There, she taught second grade at a public elementary school. Marni joined Success Academy Bed-Stuy 1 in 2015 as an education manager, helping to manage academic support and interventions for scholars with special needs, and leading the school’s administration of the New York state exams. She seeks to help all scholars develop a love of learning. Marni holds a master’s degree in elementary education from Johns Hopkins University. She graduated from RCDS in 2009.

What was your most memorable class at Rye Country Day?
I took Modern World with Mr. Flynn during my sophomore year. I’m not sure if it was luck or Mr. Flynn’s scheduling genius, but I ended up taking the class with some of my best friends. Not only did I really enjoy the content area, but I also loved the camaraderie we all shared in his class. Mr. Flynn and my classmates made Modern World fun—we would laugh all the time. It was a class I was always genuinely excited to attend.

Do you have a favorite memory of your time at the School?
One of my favorite memories of my time at school was participating in Model UN. We took a lot of pride in attending the yearly conferences and representing RCDS. Model UN definitely helped to spark my interest in current events on a national and global scale. It was a great experience that I actually took with me to college. I ended up joining the staff of my college’s conference because I wanted to give other high school students the same positive memories I had from Model UN.

How did your time at RCDS shape or influence your college experience and your career in education?
My time at RCDS certainly shaped my career in education. While my school spans Kindergarten through fourth grade, I think about my own experiences from fifth through twelfth grade at RCDS and how I can replicate what I loved about my education. A big point of reflection for me is what it takes for students to become truly invested in their studies and their growth as learners. At my school, we know how important it is to instill that sense of intrinsic motivation among all of our students. I think back on my time at RCDS and try to pinpoint what shaped me into a student who was excited and driven to learn.

As the Principal of Success Academy Charter Schools, can you think of a time when you employed some key RCDS values and skills to achieve a given result?
While it’s not necessarily a given result, I think that I try to employ RCDS’s commitment to service as much as I can. I can easily apply Not for Self, but for Service to the way I choose to operate within my school. The work I’ve done since graduating college is not for me—whether I was a teacher, Junior Leader, or principal—it’s for my students. In my current role, my primary purpose is serving my students, families, faculty, and staff.

What advice do you have for seniors as they begin their final year at RCDS?
I’ll probably sound like a broken record, but take advantage of this time! There is so much to look forward to in college, but there is also a lot about high school that you will miss. It may be the last time you live in such close proximity to your RCDS friends, the last time you feel so at ease talking with your teachers, or the last time you feel like part of such a small community. College is amazing, but make this year count!