TINTON FALLS – Ranney School held its 50th commencement ceremony at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theater on Friday, May 30, for its 59 graduating seniors.
More than 700 invited guests attended the ceremony to celebrate the academic, athletic and extracurricular accomplishments of the Class of 2014, which will continue on to some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities this fall. In keeping with a longstanding tradition at Ranney, the event featured 29 young women wearing white gowns and carrying long-stemmed red roses, and 30 young men in formal suits and ties.
Senior Steven Jacobson of Colts Neck started the ceremony, leading guests in the Pledge of Allegiance. Class of 2014 Advisor and Upper School faculty member Brian Daly gave the Invocation. Student Council President Steven Parlamas of Colts Neck welcomed those in attendance.
Upper School Dean of Students Noel Delgado, Ph.D. introduced the salutatorian, Matthew Elkwood of Morganville. Elkwood reflected on memories shared with his fellow classmates and teachers. “As we leave for college and beyond, we must consciously choose how we will use our newly found independence to change ourselves and the world,” he said. “Whether we want to be better educated or get a good job, there is a single purpose: to improve ourselves. Our most basic goal should be to become the best version of ourselves possible.”
Elkwood was joined by fellow class officers Elise Birde of Rumson, Madison Boyan of Spring Lake and Marc Owitz of Morganville to present the Class of 2014 gift: A glass kiln for the art department, which will have a significant impact on the sculpture program.
The class also will be donating funds to the new Panther concession stand in the Gerhard Pavilion for Athletics.
Caroline Korey of Locust then presented the senior class shield she created to represent the Class of 2014. “This year’s shield represents how unique our class is,” she explained. “Students are involved in many areas, including athletics, theater, music, community service, and academic honor societies … Diversity leads each one of us into different directions, and this year’s senior shield reflects our future paths formed by our experiences at Ranney.”
Board of Trustees President James Price told the class: “Your accomplishments are outstanding and we all take such great pride in you.” He spoke of the ongoing success of Ranney graduates, mentioning that 100 percent of Ranney seniors graduate and go to college, and 83 percent of the graduating class were accepted into institutions rated “Most Competitive” or “Highly Competitive” by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges. The Class of 2014 has earned more than $3.2 million in scholarships, scored nearly 400 points higher than the national average on their SAT scores and have been accepted into seven Ivy League Schools.
“It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since I witnessed my first Ranney commencement, and we are now full circle at the end of this year,” Head of School John Griffith told those assembled. “I could not think of a better class to start this journey with, and I appreciate the honor to lead and build on the foundation and the successes of a great school.” Dr. Griffith then read a poem he wrote, inspired by Dr. Seuss, especially for the Class or 2014.
Those receiving awards were: The Headmaster’s Cup, Parlamas; The Gershom Tomlinson Humanitarian Award, Korey; The Faculty Prize, Madison Boyan of Spring Lake and Steven Jacobson of Colts Neck;
The Ann Kappel Citizenship and Service Award, Madelaine Young of Middletown; The Robert Paulus Leadership and Perseverance Award, Anthony Dennis of Brick; The Margaret Mahon Award, Mostafa Meleis of Holmdel; The Ranney School Leadership Award, Birde and Elkwood; and The Lawrence S. Sykoff Award, Noah Goldstein of Spring Lake Heights.
Valedictorian Marc Owitz spoke about the difference between dreams and goals. “Why do we want to move on?” he asked and then provided the answer, “Because our goals require us to keep on learning in a perpetual process. Learning is the vehicle powered by hard work that allows us to reach our goals…. Turning a dream into a goal and achieving that goal requires us to be lifelong learners.”
After a speech from Upper School Student Council President-Elect Elizabeth Roberts ’15 of Ocean, and a benediction from Associate Head for Academic Administration and Head of Lower School Patricia Marshall, the graduates were greeted by family and friends to celebrate the day.
