We recently caught up with Riley Studebaker, a Community School alum from the class of 2010. Since graduating, he has earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Robotics & Autonomous Systems from the University of Pennsylvania. He is now a professor at the RPI School of Architecture and founder of TackLabs, a digital fabrication startup.
Looking back on his time at Community School, Riley shared that Friday Groups made a big impression. He described it as “extremely exciting and rewarding to dedicate an entire day to a specific course” and noted that “fort building on Emilie’s farm”—a retired CS teacher—was a particular favorite.
When asked what excites him most right now, Riley pointed to the “huge potential impact for general-purpose robotics and how they can be used for positive human quality of life.”
His advice for students: “Journal—regularly write down your feelings now so you can revisit them and see how you grow.”
Riley added, “Community School was an absolute gem, and I hope to see it continue to grow!”