Written By Emily Hau
Hank Brown is one of the friendliest faces on the RCDS campus. Whether it be his positive energy at community meetings, his leadership on the football field, or his energizing speech at the past Opening Ceremony, Brown is always building the RCDS community.
At RCDS, Brown has been an exceptionally active student. He is heavily involved in SET as a Classroom Leader, and in SCOPE, where he is a Volunteer Coordinator. Being able to work with and help kids in these community outreach programs has been very impactful to him. In addition to volunteering for SET and SCOPE, he has also been involved with the Boys Mentoring Program, a club that helps inspire and teach Wildcat middle schoolers. Brown states, “I went from being mentored as a middle schooler to leading the program over the last two years.” This has been a fulfilling and a full circle moment for him. He has also been on the Varsity Football team for four years, joining the team freshman year. His favorite part of being a member is how he and his teammates play for and with each other. As team captain for the past two years, Brown notes, “it’s an honor to be able to lead the team out every week.”
Aside from leadership on the football team, Brown is a leader as student body president. In this role, he loves “being on stage with the rest of CMMC, making people laugh and building school spirit.” This year, he is most excited to lead community meetings and work on new initiatives with the student government. He was first drawn to a position in student government because he “liked the challenge of crafting a speech that could draw laughter, while still including a meaningful message.” On student government, the initiative he is most proud of creating is Triple Lunch Democracy. After hearing multiple requests about having student input on the cafeteria menu, Brown spoke to Mr. Manrique, the Director of Dining Services. This discussion led to the creation of this voting system, a popular and practical way for students to have a voice in what they eat on a daily basis.
Brown’s involvement in extracurriculars extends beyond his school life. Outside of school, Brown is passionate about local policy and service. He is currently drafting a piece of fertilizer legislation with Didi Lallemand ‘27 “with the goal of lowering seasonal hypoxia in local water.” This legislation will be voted on by the Rye City Council in the near future. Both are excited at the possibility of making a positive environmental change in the community. Also aligning with his interest in legislation, this past summer, Brown spent a month participating in a public policy program in Washington D.C. Brown mentions how “hearing the impact these public servants have in many different parts of the public sector was inspiring.” His summer experience has further fueled his interest in pursuing a career in public service, and he is now “inspired to take college classes that will further [his] exploration of those types of opportunities.”
As Brown looks forward to college and beyond, he also reflects back on his experiences at RCDS. He shares how his experience has been “full of personal exploration and relationship building” where he has “learned [his] own strengths and interests.” Thinking back on the classes he took, Brown shares one of his favorite classes at RCDS: 9th grade World History with Mr. Flynn. He emphasized his fascination in learning about ancient civilizations and how they impact modern society.
In a recent speech at the Opening Ceremonies, Brown highlighted the importance of the school’s theme of compassion. After an engaging speech filled with lots of laughter, he ended with his goal: “let’s help everyone here today feel like they belong at RCDS.” Truly, by connecting the RCDS community and leading with compassion, he has fulfilled his purpose.
