VCHS Alumni Spotlight – Izzy Richie '20

Vail Christian High School Alumni Feature: Izzy Richie '20: Initiative, Perseverance, and a Passion for Serving Others

For Isabelle ‘Izzy” Richie ('20), engineering has always been about more than solving technical problems; it's about improving people's lives. From designing affordable housing solutions in the Vail Valley to helping modernize one of New York City's oldest utility systems, Izzy has built a career inspired by curiosity, collaboration, and service.

That journey began during her senior year at Vail Christian High School. Wanting to explore the intersection of engineering and nonprofit work, Izzy reached out to Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley and designed her own internship experience. She worked alongside staff members and the construction manager to learn how affordable homes are built safely and cost-effectively, while also helping to implement a volunteer database that improved the organization's operations. It was through this experience that she grew her passion for engineering for humanity.

After graduating from VCHS in 2020, Izzy moved to New York City to begin her studies at Columbia University. Despite an untraditional first year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she immersed herself in city life and Columbia's demanding mechanical engineering program, and quickly gained an interest for tutoring fellow students in calculus.

Her passion for service and mentoring continued through Columbia's Summer Bridge Program, where she served as a calculus tutor and peer counselor for 60 incoming freshmen from underserved communities. Living alongside the students, she provided both academic guidance and personal support as they adjusted to college life.

As a senior, Izzy collaborated with NASA on her capstone design project, helping design and build an actuator for a lunar "micro-chariot" capable of transporting regolith on the moon. She also completed a co-op with Consolidated Edison (Con Edison), gaining hands-on experience improving New York City's historic underground steam system and developing an interest in sustainable energy.

After earning her mechanical engineering degree from Columbia in 2024, Izzy joined Con Edison full-time as a design engineer. Today, she helps redesign and modernize the city's steam infrastructure, improving safety, reliability, and sustainability while supporting cleaner energy initiatives. She is simultaneously pursuing a master's degree in engineering management from UCLA, as well as her professional engineering license.

Looking back, Izzy credits Vail Christian with giving her both the confidence and preparation to succeed. She especially appreciates the engineering program led by Mrs. O'Neil and the strong calculus instruction from Mr. Bruce and Mr. Jager.

"I was incredibly thankful for the strong calculus foundation from VCHS. It really shaped my experience pursuing an engineering major. Throughout college, I would often think back to how incredibly well structured my VCHS math courses were and how thoroughly Mr. Bruce and Mr. Jager taught the curriculum. They were truly amazing teachers."

Beyond academics, Izzy says VCHS taught her the value of community, collaboration, and leadership—lessons she carries into her work every day.

Her advice to current students is simple but powerful:

"Don't let self-doubt stop you from pursuing your goals. Invest in yourself. Reframe your challenges or failures as experiences that will make you a more competent person. Don't focus on your current limitations—focus on what you have the potential to achieve."

From creating opportunities where none existed to solving complex engineering challenges in one of the world's largest cities, Isabelle Richie continues to demonstrate how initiative, perseverance, and a passion for serving others can build a brighter future.