Written By: Isabela Pierry

This October, The Rye Crop is shining a senior spotlight on football player and math enthusiast Cooper Tumm.

Having been at Rye Country Day since 7th grade, Tumm has found that the classes he has enjoyed the most have been math classes such as AP Calculus BC, Linear Algebra, and Honors Pre Algebra. He reflects on how he “enjoys the challenges math has to offer.” When prompted with the question on who his biggest mentor at RCDS was, he replied with “Ms. Khan,” a former math teacher, and left it at that. No further explanation seems necessary as many students who had Khan as a teacher can attest to Tumm’s statement.

Outside of the classroom, Tumm plays football for RCDS, but his interest in sports reaches beyond the 120-yard field as he also enjoys playing golf. If you have seen people randomly practicing their golf swings in the halls, Tumm is likely to have been one of them. Because sports have been a big part of Tumm’s high school experience, he reflects on how his favorite RCDS tradition has been “wildcat weekend due to the community feeling it provides.” 

Recently on Field Day, Tumm surprised the entirety of the Upper School by cartwheeling across the stage and then proceeding to jump into a middle split. Tumm explains how he “used to do gymnastics and [is] very flexible, as seen in that dance off.” 

His piece of advice to RCDS students is to “Find what really gets you excited to learn and dive deep into it,” and he seems to embody this on a daily basis as he continues to expand on his interests in his final year at high school. 

Beyond athletics, Tumm’s academic pursuits have led to some impressive accomplishments. His proudest moment was winning the Riders Robotics competition his sophomore year, an achievement that reflects his drive and technical skills.

As he nears the end of his high school journey, Tumm offers a piece of advice to fellow students: “Find what really gets you excited to learn and dive deep into it.” He lives by these words, continuing to explore his diverse passions as he prepares for what’s next.