By Miranda Lassar
Managing Editor of Community and Global News
Ask anyone about Patrick Reilly and you get the same response, “He’s brilliant. I mean really brilliant.”
Reilly’s outstanding intelligence has earned him a spot at the University of California Davis and the 2015 Phi Beta Kappa award, awarded to the senior with the highest GPA.
Reilly’s teachers praised his intelligence as well as his deeper comprehension of the material.
“He is brilliant, and he has a flawless and in depth understanding [of the material],” physics teacher Hema Roychowdhury said.
Reilly’s intelligence comes with a drive and motivation that he sets for himself.
“He has an incredible intensity, focus, and drive, and he is without a doubt one of the most focused and serious students I have had in recent years,” history teacher Jamie Rinaldi said.
His determination and his genuine love of learning have helped him reached this level of success.
“I generally like to learn, and I focus on the topics,” Reilly said. “I’m just happy to have learned a lot, and I have really enjoyed it.”
Reilly is at the top of class, but he keeps himself humble and open to others, according to Rinaldi.
“There is a modesty to [him]…and he cares about what his classmates think and is interested in engaging them in conversation,” Rinaldi said.
Junior Liza Sulkin, a close friend to Reilly, agrees about his compassion for others.
“He is a really considerate person and a nice guy to be around,” Sulkin said.
Roychowdhury believes that Reilly’s presence has helped the class succeed and understand the material.
“You can rely on him to explain everything, he is like having another teacher in class, it was amazing to have him in my class,” Roychowdhury said.
Reilly has taken the position of the model student and has helped establish good classroom etiquette.
“Patrick comes into class and he is in class,” Rinaldi said. “He establishes clear expectations for the classroom and sets a high standard for his peers.”
Reilly’s presence in class is not the only thing the teachers celebrate, as his participation in coupled with the way he works is equally impressive.
“It is amazing to watch him work, he always listens intensely,” Rinaldi said. “When he speaks, it is so rich, considered, and full of understanding.”
Sulkin agrees that his work ethic is one to be praised.
“He is really productive and he works really well,” Sulkin said. “He had gotten a lot of our [physics] projects done before I even got to it!”
Reilly’s attitude toward learning and his love of it have thoroughly impressed his teachers and have been praised with the utmost respect.
“When he [Reilly] speaks, it is so definitive and impressive that everyone else can’t help but be humbled by it,” Rinaldi said.
