Bright-eyed soon-to-be Buckley Country Day School graduates wearing red and blue sashes and ties; enduring traditions and age-old pomp and circumstance; proud parents, families, friends, faculty and staff gathering under a large white tent on the Roby Young Field; an overwhelming feeling of joy; never disappointing late spring, clear skies: nothing was missing for Buckley’s 97th commencement exercises and the graduation of the Class
of 2024.
Reverend Jennifer Bailey, director of pastoral care services for New York City Health & Hospitals in Brooklyn and a spiritual care worker for the Red Cross, opened this year’s ceremony with an invocation.
Bailey was introduced by graduate Jade El-Hajj-Bey who expressed her admiration for a person who “on a daily basis practices with grace to impact the lives of clinicians, patients, and their families.”
On behalf of her classmates, Ana Calvo presented the Teacher of the Year Award, selected by the graduating class members, to seventh and eighth-grade mathematics teacher Sue Rodriguez-Mclean.
Calvo said Rodriguez-McLean was her classmates’ unanimous choice because “she created an environment where it felt safe to make mistakes and try something new.” “She inspired
us through her story before Buckley. Being one of the few Latina female engineers, she carries her experience and hard work into every single day.”
The Thomas J. Reid Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching, demonstrated by concern for each student, quality of instruction, and commitment to Buckley. The 2024 Thomas J. Reid Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to pre-nursery teacher Susan Florendo.
The G. Robert Gage Award for Excellence in Teaching, named and given in memory of Bob Gage’s late father, is given annually to a faculty member in recognition of their excellence in teaching.
This award is funded every year by the investment income earned on the Gage family’s endowment gift. Fourth-grade teacher Christine Ikin was the 2024 recipient of the G. Robert Gage Award for Excellence in Teaching.
A generous endowment gift from Linda and John Powers made possible the presentation of an additional faculty award at graduation.
The Powers Family Teacher Recognition Award is given annually to a faculty member in recognition of their embodiment of the school’s character and spirit, care and nurturing qualities, and excellence in teaching.
This year, the Powers Family Teacher Recognition Award was presented to kindergarten teacher Sarah Roman ’98.
Board Chair Chris Lee presented this year’s Trustees’ Bowl, the School’s most prized academic award, to the student who achieved the highest grade point average. The Trustees’ Bowl was presented to Nicholas Datterdeen.
Calvo was awarded the scholarship medal for the second-highest academic average, while Angel Wai-Hernandez earned the certificate of merit for the third-highest average.
Eliza Li and Adli Abdel-Misih, student council co-presidents, presented the gift of the Class of 2024 to Buckley Country Day School.
The Class of 2024, a very athletic class, raised money to purchase a new scoreboard for one of the gyms.
Being that they managed to raise more money than needed for the scoreboard, they added $2,000 to acquire new equipment for the athletic department and chose to allocate another $2,000 to the Headmaster’s Impact Fund started by the Class of 2017 to assist Buckley Country Day School’s families with expenses above and beyond tuition.
The graduating class selected seventh—and eighth-grade English teacher Maria Newman as their faculty speaker. Liam O’Sullivan introduced her as a teacher who made her students feel like family and who made their last two years at Buckley the best they could be. “We are forever grateful,” concluded Liam.
Ironically, as Newman pointed out, this was a little bit of ”payback” for all the speeches she made them write!
Newman, who teaches Homer’s “Odyssey” in one of her classes, offered to challenge the conventional narrative structure of the hero’s journey. She told the students about the opportunities they can create for themselves and make the world they already live in extraordinary.
Dilynne Hsu ’18 was this year’s alumna speaker. Hsu was introduced by her younger brother, Chase. Chase introduced Dilynne not only as the valedictorian of the class of 2018, but also as his role model and best friend.
Dilynne shared how she remembered first introducing Chase to her kindergarten classmates 14 years before in the form of a sonogram picture.
The two student speakers selected by their peers were Eliza Li and Ken Thongpahusatcha.
Diplomas were then awarded to the members of the graduating class. Newly-elected student council president Alyssa Sugiyama ‘25 and assistant director of development for alumni engagement Holly O’Brien displayed the wooden plaques carved by the graduates as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.
The members of the Class of 2024 will be attending: Andover, Blair Academy, The Browning School, Chaminade High School, Charterhouse School, The Dalton School, Dominican Academy, Grace Church School, Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School, Loyola School, Manhasset High School, The Mary Louis Academy, Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, Phillips Exeter Academy, Portledge School, Sacred Heart Academy, Trinity School, Westhampton Beach Senior High School, Xavier High School.