Harvey Names 2019 Valedictorian

KATONAH, NY — Sanath Kumar will be the valedictorian at the Harvey School’s 2019 commencement in June. A resident of Cortlandt Manor, Kumar is the top scholar of Harvey’s Class of 2019, graduating with a 4.24 grade-point average.

In making the announcement, Head of Upper School Phil Lazzaro said Kumar is most deserving of serving as the Class of 2019’s valedictorian.

“Sanath's work in the classroom shows unparalleled ability across all disciplines, and we are lucky to have had him in our school community,” Mr. Lazzaro said, adding” Sanath is an exceptional young man with great character, truly an inspiration to all.”

Kumar, a Model United Nations captain and a four-year member of both the band and the baseball team, was a founder of both the school’s Peer Tutoring Program and the Fantasy Sports Club. He has excelled in math since middle school, completing Harvey’s mathematics curriculum in his sophomore year and enrolling in online courses at Stanford University in Number Theory and Linear Algebra. A three-year president of Mu Alpha Theta of the National Mathematics Honor Society, Kumar finished in first place among his Harvey classmates in the American Mathematics Competition for all four years of high school.

He plans to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall.

Harvey mathematics chair Amie Phillips, who has taught Kumar since the seventh grade, praised him for both his acumen in math and for his character as well.

“Although Sanath is one of the brightest young minds I have encountered, he is humble and always looking to see how he can help his peers,” Phillips said. “I am excited to see what he will accomplish in college."

Harvey’s 2019 graduation ceremony will also feature a keynote address from the NFL’s first African-American female coach, Collette V. Smith, who currently serves as Director of Government and Community Relations for the new Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) and is a motivational speaker who visits schools, children's organizations, and corporations to encourage and inspire individuals to find success in their lives.

Commencement exercises for the 74 members of Harvey’s Class of 2019 will take place Thursday, June 6 at 10 a.m. in the school’s Fenstermacher Athletic Center.