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Miriam Melnick
  • Class of 2013
  • New York, NY

Miriam Melnick Earns Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bard College at Simon's Rock

2013 May 29

Miriam Melnick of New York, NY, recently graduated cum laude from Bard College at Simon's Rock with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. Melnick attended Lexington High School before leaving after 10th grade to enter college early.

Melnick was one of 124 students to graduate from the early college on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Fifty two undergraduates received their B.A. degrees and 72 received their A.A. degrees.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered the commencement address. In his speech, "Economic Prospects for the Long Run," Bernanke told the early college graduates they would have to reinvent themselves many times during their working lives, saying "Success and satisfaction will not come from mastering a fixed body of knowledge but from constant adaptation and creativity in a rapidly changing world. Engaging with and applying new technologies will be a crucial part of that adaptation."

As the father of an alumnus, Chairman Bernanke also acknowledged how the Simon's Rock curriculum prepared the graduates for the future, "Your work here at Simon's Rock, and the intellectual skills, creativity, and imagination that that work has fostered, are the best possible preparation for these challenges. And while I have emphasized technological and scientific advances today, it is important to remember that the arts and humanities facilitate new and creative thinking as well, while helping us to draw meaning that goes beyond the purely material aspects of our lives."

Bard College at Simon's Rock, founded in 1966, is the only college in the country specifically designed for bright, highly motivated students ready to enter college early, usually after the 10th or 11th grade. Simon's Rock offers a challenging program in the liberal arts and sciences, taught exclusively in small seminars by a supportive, highly-trained faculty. Degrees are granted in 41 concentrations. Simon's Rock became part of the Bard College network in 1979.