As another school year ends, it is time to congratulate Ramapo High School Class of 2024’s incredibly hardworking Salutatorian, Griffin Eisele. Not only has Eisele achieved this title of salutatorian, meaning that he is the second-highest-ranked student in the 2024 senior class, but he is also an active community member. Eisele is a member of the Boy Scouts where he has received his Eagle Rank. To receive an Eagle Rank, Eisele was a Life Scout for at least six months, earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, demonstrated Scout Spirit, and exhibited leadership within his troop. Eisele is also the captain of the cross country team and he currently runs for Ramapo’s track and field team. On top of his athletic accomplishments, Eisele is also President of the French Club, a member of the World Language Honors Society and the National Honor Society, and he competes in Ramapo’s interscholastic Biology League. With an incredibly busy academic and athletic schedule, it is impressive that Eisele was awarded the title of salutatorian.
Eisele is honored to hold the title of salutatorian and explains how the award “represents the accumulation of countless hours engaged in textbooks and the long nights I spent preparing for daunting assessments.” Eisele has worked incredibly hard throughout his high school career and his studious efforts have been validated by all of his achievements. Eisele commented that he has been working toward the title of salutatorian since his freshman year at Ramapo and is satisfied to see his hard work and “commitment be fulfilled and acknowledged.”
During Eisele’s senior year of high school, he took all Advanced Placement classes but the required health class. While the courses Eisele has taken are assuredly challenging, he explains that it is ultimately the efficiency in his work ethic that has led him to his status as salutatorian. Eisele recognizes that time management is one of the most important skills a student can learn, especially in this age where one’s life is full of distractions. Close friend and peer of Eisele, Volodymyr Malinovsky, comments that Eisele is a “very hard working individual and puts a lot of effort in every class that I have had with him.” Eisele’s work ethic, positive attitude, and ability to achieve his goals is known by all of his peers.
By prioritizing his life in certain categories, Eisele was able to work effectively while still finding time for his hobbies and happiness. Hobbies such as camping, fishing, playing basketball, and tennis are all activities that Eisele has participated in and have attributed to his success because they are useful in helping him “maintain long-term happiness.”
Eisele mentions that while his hobbies are not directly related to his success in school nor his title of salutatorian, they are instrumental in his personal life and development. Many of these hobbies help him foster talents such as being approachable, objective, and friendly. Eisele believes his greatest talent is not his intellectual abilities, but his ability to truly care about everyone in his life and “being able to remain true to yourself while at the same time respectful to others is a difficult skill, which I continue to practice every day.”
Eisele’s deep interest in the sciences were unearthed at Ramapo and he plans to work in the medical field in the future. Eisele comments that Biology is “a very interesting subject, with many different aspects to learn about. From microbiology to macrobiology, everything fascinates me. There is life all around us, and the mechanisms by which they interact is a topic that will never cease to amaze me.”
When asked about Eisele’s work ethic, AP Biology teacher Ms. Angerson commented, “Griffin has a tremendous amount of integrity and that important quality has allowed him to seek out knowledge for its own sake. Of course, don’t be mistaken that he is “all school all the time”. He somehow manages to show up for every track practice and meet while maintaining stellar grades in his AP courses.” Eisele succeeds not only in academic and athletic areas but has also mastered how to maintain balance in his life. Ms. Angerson compliments Eisele, saying that he “succeeds because he puts in the work. It’s just that simple!”
Eisele will study Biological Sciences at Southern Methodist University with the University Honors Program and a highly competitive research fellowship under the Dedman Scholars Program. Griffin Eisele, Class of 2024 Salutatorian, Ramapo High School congratulates you on all that you have achieved and wishes you good luck in all of your future endeavors!
