Congratulations CLASS OF
GEN GEORGE W. CASEY JR. DELIVERS 2017 COMMENCEMENT SPEECH Commencement day dawned gray, but the class of 2017 received bright words of advice from GEN George W. Casey Jr. A retired U.S. Army four-star General, Casey last served as the 36th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from April 2007 to April 2011. He previously served as Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq from June 2004 to February 2007 and had been in the Army his entire adult working life. GEN Casey currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United Service Organizations (USO), which operates more than 160 locations around the world. GEN Casey served as the senior Coalition Commander in Iraq from June 2004 to February 2007. In January 2007, President George W. Bush nominated GEN Casey to Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, a position he assumed in April, 2007. As the 36th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, GEN Casey led what is arguably the world’s largest and most complex organization – 1.1 million people strong, with a $200+ billion annual budget – during one of the most extraordinary periods in military and global political history. 4
Salutatorian The class of 2017 Salutatorian arrived at Riverside as a 7th grader. During the years, he consistently challenged himself with a rigorous course load to include AP Courses in English, Language, English Literature, Biology, Physics, Calculus and Psychology. He was a member of multiple varsity athletic teams and has captained our National Championship Raider team. This summer, he will join talented young men and women (including his older brother Tucker, ’15) from around the nation at the United States’ Military Academy at West Point. With a cumulative GPA of 4.22, this year’s Salutatorian was the Battalion Commander, C/LTC Ivan Pearson. Ivan is the son of Betsy and Russ Pearson from South Haven, MN.
Valedictorian The valedictorian stands at the top of the academic hill. With a keen intellect and relentless work ethic, C/MAJ Wiley Burns embodies academic excellence. In his five years at Riverside, he earned an overall grade point average of 4.25. He has taken a challenging course load that included AP English, English Language and Literature, AP Physics I and II, AP Calculus and more. He represented the Academy on various athletic teams including his role as Captain of the varsity basketball team. He has won three National Championships with our Raider team and was Chair of the Academy’s Honor Council. This summer he will join outstanding young men and women at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Wiley is the son of Kathryn and Steven Burns from Mountain Brook, AL.