Rienzo to Teach at Harvard this Summer
Matt Rienzo, Huntington High School’s Class of 2007 valedictorian, is thriving at Harvard College, where he was recently selected to work with a small group of students, teaching an introductory organic chemistry lab technique course during the summer session.
The part-time teaching assistant position is a perfect fit for Mr. Rienzo who intends to pursue a master’s degree in chemistry and then a Ph/D. before embarking on a teaching and/or research career.
In addition to his teaching assignment, Mr. Rienzo has plenty to keep him busy at Harvard this summer. “The rest of the time, I’ll be continuing my lab research in the chemistry department,” he said last Saturday.
Mr. Rienzo’s undergraduate studies have been focused in the areas of chemistry and physics. He is on path to finish his bachelor’s degree in three years before tackling the master’s degree requirements in his fourth year at Harvard.
At Huntington, Mr. Rienzo was named a National Merit scholarship finalist and earned an AP Scholar with Distinction Award, as well as winning Suffolk music, math and science honors. He was a semi-finalist in the National Chemistry Olympiad and was chosen to participate in the national chemistry camp in Colorado in the weeks following his graduation.
A valedictorian who was popular with his classmates and with Huntington High School teachers, Mr. Rienzo was a member of the math team and the competitive marching band, where he was a clarinet section leader. He was captain of the fencing team, a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and wind ensemble and a copy editor for the school newspaper, The Dispatch.
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