Salutatorian is outstanding cellist
SPARTA. Rowan Mendel will attend Princeton this fall.
Sparta /
| 14 Jul 2025 | 10:05
SAL1 Sparta High School salutatorian Rowan Mendel plays the cello with the New Jersey Youth Symphony at Rutgers University. (Photos provided)
SAL2 Sparta High School salutatorian Rowan Mendel will attend Princeton this fall.
Valedictorian Tyler Harms, left, and salutatorian Rowan Mendel.
“I don’t think any one of us could have imagined how fast these four years would go,” Rowan Mendel said in his speech at Sparta High School’s graduation. “We did it - and I’d like to think we’re just getting started.”
After years of meticulous work, academic excellence and artistic expression, Mendel was named salutatorian of the Class of 2025.
With a grade point average of 4.7, Rowan’s dedication to academics was not lost on the faculty and his peers.
Throughout his four years, he was a key member of many organizations, such as the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Math Honor Society and English Honor Society. He also was a part of Slava, the Russian Honor Society, and Tri-M, the Music Honor Society.
Asked if he had a mentor at the school, he named Aimee Nishimura, the orchestra teacher. “She has been a standout teacher at the school - she always has a smile on her face. It’s been great getting to work with her.
“In the world of music at Sparta High School, she was definitely my inspiration.”
Concerto competition
Outside school, Mendel is a cellist in the New Jersey Youth Symphony and has won many awards for his talent. He is teaching at the Summer Arts Workshop this summer.
During tough moments, he always turned to music to de-stress and regroup.
In a defining moment, he won a concerto competition with the New Jersey Youth Symphony where he performed a solo, accompanied by an orchestra, at Rutgers University.
“It was a surreal and powerful experience where I felt like I had really accomplished what I had been working towards.”
Asked what is his dream job, Mendel said, “My current private teacher, Jonathan Spitz, is who I imagine myself to be one day.”
Spitz is principal cello of the New Jersey Symphony and head of strings at Rutgers. “He just loves to play music. That’s really what my dream job is - anything where I can play is where I’m going to be happy.”
His advice to incoming high school students: “Don’t stress yourself out about doing too much. It’s good to try things out - find your passions.”
In the fall, Mendel will be attending Princeton University and will major in music performance. He will be a part of Princeton’s inaugural class of performance majors.
He also is looking forward to joining the Chess Club and taking part in Slavic studies.