Student NEWS & shoutouts

Ridgefield Academy students are confident learners and leaders both inside and outside the classroom. Swelling with #patriotpride, we recognize and celebrate students for the individual areas in which they thrive.
 

Students In The News

Kian E. '25

In the fall of 2025, Kian E. '25 showcased his photography skills by entering the Connecticut Youth Photo Competition, ASAP!'s 14th Annual Celebration of Young Photographers. Kian’s work stood out among submissions from 280 students across 58 towns throughout the state. Both of his unedited photographs, Swan Lake and Graceful Grit were selected as part of the top 60 and earned a spot in a special exhibition at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury.

Kian’s photograph Swan Lake was recognized for its beauty and its embodiment of the competition’s theme of “grace.” This stunning piece earned Kian First Place in the Middle School category, as selected by a panel of judges.

B&NC Magazine's 2024 18 Under 18

The annual 18 Under 18 feature in Bedford & New Canaan Magazine’s September/October Education Issue is always a highlight, showcasing increasingly impressive student achievements each year.

This year, Ridgefield Academy is proud to announce that three of our outstanding students and alumni have been selected:

- Elle Murphy ’27 (p. 161)
- Kiran Rao ’21 (p. 163)
- Quinn Maloney ’25 (p. 166)

Congratulations to all on your remarkable achievements!

Photo Credit: Bedford & New Canaan Magazine

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Grace S.

Grace S. '27 began her equestrian journey at just six months old and started riding in shows by the age of three, according to a 2023 article about the Hampton Classic. Having accumulated many titles over her years of riding, Grace's achievements soared to new heights at the 2024 Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania. As the top horse show in the country, the Devon Horse Show accepts only 30 ponies in total. Grace received the highest honors, being awarded Best Child Rider on a Pony and taking home the Grand Pony Hunter Championship.

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Minho C.

Over the summer of 2024, Minho C. ’27 competed for the third time in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, the largest junior tournament in the world. He competed in the Boys 12 division and placed 11th out of 150 players, earning a top 20 finalist award—a significant achievement. Minho also played for the PGA Jr. League team, Fairview Farm, in Connecticut, winning both the CT Sectional and Regional Championships. For the second time, his team has advanced to compete in the 2024 National Car Rental PGA Jr. League 13-and-Under Championship this fall in Texas, which will be broadcasted on ESPN, and the RA community will be cheering him on! Additionally, Minho placed 3rd in the Notah Begay III Jr. Golf Regional Championship this summer and won six events in the PGA Metropolitan Section Junior Tour (Players Tour, Boys 12-14 Division).

Quinlan M.

Quinn M. ’25 is a competitive speedcuber, which involves solving a variety of Rubik's cube puzzles as quickly as possible. Quinn started solving rubix cubes in August of 2022 and has competed in eleven competitions and counting! Quinn competes in eleven different puzzle events, and his best event is the 2x2 cube. In July, he qualified for the Speedcubing National Championship in Pittsburgh, PA and finished 18th out of 863 competitors in the 2x2. In October of 2023, Quinn competed in the New England Championships in Springfield, MA, and came in first place in the 2x2 out of 193 competitors - with an average of 1.8 seconds in the final around and personal best of 0.83 seconds. Quinn also placed fifth overall in pyraminx, a pyramid-shaped puzzle, and became the New England Champion in that event as well. Quinn has enjoyed making new friends through the speedcubing community and is looking forward to more competitions!

Watch Quinn’s YouTube Channel.
View Quinn’s World Cubing Association page.

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Eleanor M.

According to The New York Times, Elle M. ’27 is one of the “tiny dancers who make The Nutcracker sparkle”. Elle, a student at The School of American Ballet, played the role of Bunny in the 2022 New York City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. Read Elle’s interview with The New York Times here. Her photo in The New York Times was selected as one of the best arts photos of the year in the article, “How We Saw the Arts in 2022”. In the 2023 production, Elle is again taking to the Lincoln Center stage in a new role.  inRidgefield spotlighted Elle as“NYC’s Tiny Ballet dancer”, and she can be seen dancing in a NY1 piece about George Balanchine’s classic production below! In the spring of 2024, Elle once again took to the stage with the New York City Ballet, opening a Midsummer Night’s Dream in the role of Titania’s page.

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Shoutouts

Western Regional Middle School Music Festival
Three RA students - Grade 7 students Courtney S. and Kian E., and Grade 6 student Sheherazad E. - participated in the Western Regional Middle School Music Festival in March. Throughout the two-day event, students auditioned to be part of the Concert Band, Orchestra, Chorus, or Jazz Band and collaborated with notable conductors to prepare for their Saturday afternoon performance. Over 400 Grades 6-8 students joined the festival, and RA students did an amazing job for their first time participating in such a large group!
ACT Youth Choir
Six RA students were part of ACT of CT’s 2023 youth choir winter performance in Ridgefield, which is directed by Ridgefield Academy/Landmark Preschool’s very own music teacher Deb Penn. Bravo to Grade 3 students Shivani B., Luke D., and Archie L., and Grade 6 students Adelaide K. and Castine L.!

Photo Credit: Miller Photography

Ash D.
Ash D.‘25 has been performing with various groups since the age of 4. As the youngest member in the 2023 cast, Ash D.delivered awesome performances in the Stamford All-School Musical, Legally Blonde!
Ashton H. and Ella K.
The Soccer Club of Ridgefield (SCOR) U11 team had incredible performances in the 2023 CT Cup tournament and made it to the Elite 8. As the right midfielder, Ashton H. ('27) was a key player in the team's success and delivered some quick passing plays. A game against West Haven came down to sudden death and penalty kicks. Goalie Ella K. ('27) saved the day, as she blocked not one but two crucial penalty kicks, propelling the team into the next round. Though the team’s journey ended with a challenging match against Simsbury, the team had amazing achievements in this very competitive A level CT cup tournament.
Eleanor A.
Eleanor A. ’28 is part of the Ridgefield Girls Softball 10 & Under Travel Team. After a double header vs. Wilton and the CT Timberwolves, Eleanor was unanimously voted to receive the Hustle Award of the Day. Eleanor had six strikeouts over two innings pitched as well as one of the biggest hits of the day with an RBI.
An All Star Cast!

Seven RA students were part of the Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance’s 2023 production of The Nutcracker! Congratulations to Sasha S.‘25, Olivia C. ‘25, Simon S. ‘27, Josie G. ‘24, Arya S.‘26, Mateo S. ‘24, and Finley K. ‘30 on their amazing performances!

Ridgefield Academy