About
Leadership
From the Desk of the Head of School: Coming to Ransom Everglades means coming home
Recent days have offered a whirlwind of activity and good news, all reminding me of how special this institution is. In the span of less than a week, I had the opportunity to interact with members of the Ransom Everglades community at every stage of the RE journey. I greeted eager and excited members of the Class of 2032 (rising sixth graders offered admission just weeks ago) as they arrived for the Middle School New Student Orientation. I watched seniors sign classmates' T-shirts, pile on top of the cannon for photos, and share hugs and laughs as they prepared for the traditional jump in the pool on the last day of classes. And I loved welcoming some 300 alumni ranging in age from their early 20s to 80s during Alumni Weekend 2025; all shared a sense of connection, deep pride and, perhaps most of all, the knowledge that returning to RE means coming home.
The saying “home is where the heart is” rings true at Ransom Everglades. This is a community, grounded in core values, that finds its way into your heart and ignites your spirit. The alumni who returned for special reunions and activities on campus know this to be true. Our seniors, who graduate on May 23, are just beginning to comprehend the power of the bonds they have formed since they arrived at RE. As for our sixth graders and other new students, so much exploration, discovery, accomplishment and fun are ahead. I can’t wait to watch their journeys unfold.
As new students and parents arrived for the orientation on April 30, I marveled at their numerous and diverse paths to Ransom Everglades. Our rising sixth grade includes 172 students from 39 different schools – 15 public, five charter and 19 private. Twenty-nine students are children of RE alumni (and three have two alumni parents!). As I welcomed our new middle schoolers from the podium in Swenson Hall, I let them know that Ransom Everglades is – at its core – about people and relationships. It is a community of care. I also let members of the Class of 2032 know they were admitted from the most competitive application pool in history – and, just like that, the RE pride started swelling. The connections began to form. As applause came, their grins seemed to say: We did it!
Our new middle school students and families heard from three members of the Class of 2025, Mia Bouyoucef ’25, T.J. Malone ’25 and Eduardo Michelsen ’25. The seniors offered helpful advice and heartfelt reassurance, delivering their respective remarks with empathy, sincerity and confidence – all of which illustrated how ready they are to take on the world, and leave it better than they find it. Their primary message to our newest students: Seize the opportunity ahead of you, and get ready to grow and prosper.
Even as the end of their school years at RE approaches, our seniors have much fun ahead. The prom takes place May 17, our annual Baccalaureate/Senior Send-off a day later, and a few gatherings that coincide with graduation rehearsals the following week. As I shared with our community in a May 1 email, the Class of 2025 is heading to 71 colleges and universities in 25 states and three countries. Some will be off to small liberal arts colleges, others major research institutions and still others international schools. The class includes countless scholarship recipients, athletic recruits, students pursuing careers in the arts, and more than 20 percent (33 students) are headed to the Ivy League or MIT and Stanford. You can peruse the matriculation list here.
The best thing about sending our seniors out into the world is knowing they will immediately be welcomed into our alumni community. Together, RE alumni have uncommon strength and power, serving as a professional network and friend group, a vehicle to advance in the world, and a safety net when times are tough. As our alumni repeatedly describe it, it’s like a family. It is family. It’s the continuation of an incredible journey that starts in school and lasts for life.
Rachel RodriguezHead of School
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.