Noah Ranallo
Graduated from LCWS in 2014
Class Teacher: Ms. Shapiro, Frau Zuberg, Ms. Markow
High School Class Sponsor: Melendy Comey
Gap year: Noah took two years after graduating high school to work and to travel. He worked with his dad doing tree service work. Then he traveled to India with another Waldorf Alum, Oliver Creech. They went for a big hiking trip in the mountains of Sikkim where the air and water were very clear and fresh. They also spent some time in the city Kolkata. Noah spent two weeks skiing in the Argentinian Andes as well. When he was home flew around Vermont and the East Coast for fun.
College: Noah spent four years at Vermont Tech in the Pilot Technology Program. He graduated this year with a Bachelor of Science degree. In this program, there are aviation core classes at the ground school which is then complemented with practical flying courses. Noah already had his private pilot license as part of his senior project at LCWS, which allowed him to fly a variety of different planes. Once in college Noah received his Commercial Pilots License which allows him to be paid for his flights. To be able to fly in the clouds, Noah needed his Instrument Rating License which means that the navigation and sensors in the plane are solely used because vision is not clear. Noah is also a Certified Flight Instructor and has been working for VT Tech, instructing for a year and a half. VT Tech is partnered with the VT Flight Academy and Noah works with both programs instructing flying lessons in the sky!
Noah said that flying an airplane is like sailing a boat, but with a third dimension. They each hold all the same principles; a plane has a Rutter just like a sailboat which helps it to go side to side. The sail of the boat is like the plane’s wing, except the wind in the sail generates forward movement while, when flying the wing generates a lift up into the sky.
Career: Now that Noah has graduated from his program he would like to work at an airline. He was offered a position at an airline and was set to leave for training in June but due to the pandemic it was indefinitely postponed. While he waits for the pandemic to calm down and the need for commercial flights to pick up, he will continue working as a flight instructor.
Benefits of Waldorf: Noah attributes his curiosity to his Waldorf education. He said, “I love to learn new things, and I feel like I have stayed curious through the years. The flexibility of the senior project allowed me to follow my interests to be where I am today.” Noah also said that his friends often ask for his help mending buttons as his sewing skills never went away.
Favorite Memories: Noah’s favorite memories are the trips his class went on to explore the subject they were learning, “I have really cherished those a lot, I always had so much fun and those trips nourished my love of travel.” He especially loved the Flack Family Farm trip, and the Odyssey trip. Noah remembers the connections that he made with his peers and teachers the most. He said that these kinds of connections are hard to find at other schools and he cherishes those relationships immensely. He felt a strong connection, especially with Mr. Crimy.
Message to Current Students: “I was convinced, even halfway through senior year that I wouldn’t go to college I just didn’t want to go to school. Then I found something I really enjoyed and I didn’t realize I wanted to go to school for it until 2 years after I graduated—make sure you are doing something you really like and that will always lead you to a good place.”
Congratulations to Noah and Deirdre on their recent engagement!