Milken Congratulates the Extraordinary Class of 2021

Dear Community Members,

I am so proud to congratulate the Milken Class of 2021! There was not a dry eye at the Rose Bowl on Sunday as we watched with pride as our seniors walked across the stage and in an instant turned into alumni who will fully embody our Portrait of the Graduate – think well, take positive action, and belong to something greater than themselves.

We have so much to be proud of as our students are heading to over 50 unique schools across the globe, including specialty programs in areas like our Architecture+Design Institute, Computer Science, Jewish Studies, and Robotics. We are also proud to keep our connection to Israel and the Jewish people with students moving to Israel this summer to join the IDF. You can click here to see all of the schools to which our students were accepted this year.

I want to take a moment to wish a heartfelt Mazal Tov to the recipients of our honors this year. Along with our valedictorian, salutatorian, and Hebrew speaker we also honor students according to each of our core values. Congratulations to this group of outstanding students:

Valedictorian
Brandon Tavakoli

Salutatorian
Amelia Marengo

Hebrew Speaker
Arielle Meisel 

Core Values Awards
Pursuing Academic Excellence
תלמוד תורה Talmud Torah
Benjamin Bakhaj

Building a Joyful, Welcoming Community
קהילה Kehillah
Celine Behnam

Treating Others with Dignity and Kindness
כבוד הבריות Kavod HaBriyot
Sabrina Abselet 

Taking Responsibility for Self and Others
ערבות Areivut
Arielle Meisel

Connecting to Israel and the Jewish people
 אהבת ישראל Ahavat Yisrael
Talia Byrnes

Growing with Integrity
תשובה Teshuvah
Navid Aframian

Pausing to Nurture the Soul
שבת וינפש Shavat Vayinafash
Eliyah Stern

As I reflect on this past year, I see how our students were strong, passionate, and resilient. Of course, I would love to have seen this year go on ‘normally’ but the strength and confidence they gained from overcoming this difficult time is beautiful to see. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors, and I am deeply grateful to the faculty, academic advisors, and families who supported them in their journeys at Milken.

B’shalom,

Dr. Sarah Shulkind
Head of School