Almost every year there is a tie between students for valedictorian. However, it is believed by Rider counselors that this is the first year there was a nine-way tie of perfect 5.0 GPAs.
Ultimately, Mahdi Kabir was named valedictorian and Chaitanya Reddy was named salutatorian of the Class of 2024.
When he realized senior year that he could be in the running, Kabir went for it. It was a by-chance thing for Reddy, not something he was shooting for.
Kabir is aiming for computer science at UT Austin. Planning to attend Duke University in the fall, Reddy will be studying economics and is on the pre-med track.
Both of their motivations for getting through school involved their futures.
“Mostly trying to set off a better future for myself so I can get to a good college and live a secure life,” Kabir said.
“I think the motivation has just been knowing where I wanted to go to college and trying to get there,” Reddy said.
Their speeches at graduation on Saturday will involve touches of Rider and its traditions for the final Raider graduating class.
Kabir will also include commemorations to his class, thank yous and cultural references. Reddy will mostly focus on all of Rider’s lasts; last Round-Up, last homecoming and football game, along with some of Reddy’s experiences and a little about going to college.
The other seven seniors with perfect GPAs were Damaya Phillips, Katherine Bruce, Trinity Munoz, Kensley Oliver, Alexzander Wilburn, Reid Berry and Mikayla Penney. Tied for 10th are Sai Chada and Vincent Doan.
“It truly is an outstanding group of Raiders and what a fitting group to represent the last graduating class of Rider High School,” principal Dr. Cody Blair said.
With nine students tied, the district tie-breaker had to be applied. The tie-breaker involves comparing the individual grades of each class the students took during their time at Rider.
However, the tiebreaker will not be the same next year, as they are changing it for the new schools. Since everyone will come from different campuses, the new policy will state that they will compare the 19 classes that count for everyone’s GPA.
CLASS OF 2o24 BY THE NUMBERS
387 – graduates in the final Raider class
82 – honor graduates (4.0 GPA and above)
42 – grads finishing with at least a 4.5 GPA
10 – National Merit honorees
4 – sets of twins (Baileys, Basillos, Pinsons, Tolleys)
3 – enlisting into the military after graduation
