Academic Awards: Celebrating the Class of 2020, Underclassmen, and Teachers

While the school community continues preparations for Commencement, we took time Thursday to honor achievements in academics, athletics, leadership, and teaching. The Academic Awards Ceremony was crafted this year to combine both the Senior Awards and Underclass Awards. Bringing the full community together virtually to recognize all of the students as one.

Head of School Joe Williams recognized the challenges we have faced and overcome this spring. He noted our power to make decisions, and how sometimes they seem to all come at once, feeling insurmountable. Sharing advice from a former tutor, he noted how we can move forward. “Just make the first decision before you and don’t get lost in all of them at the same time. Once the first decision is made you proceed to make the next. It is in these smaller bites that are very digestible that you tackle the totality that confronts you.” Similarly, the honorees of today’s awards took on a mindset to tackle decisions in moving forward in their disciplines.

Celebrating all areas of student life

The Academic Awards Ceremony entails more than academic achievement. It honors students who have made impactful contributions in academics, athletics, arts, teaching, and service. The underclass students will be looked to next year to step up as leaders for the school, offering their talents and experience to embrace and exhibit the values of New Hampton School. Our seniors and post-graduates move forward towards Commencement next week, one step closer to their goals and to becoming alumni of our school.

After a brief introduction from Head of School Joe Williams, Taze Thompson ’20 spoke to welcome all the community. Thompson highlighted the importance of recognizing those students who have obtained a high level of achievement through the year in all areas of student life. She shared, “It is heartwarming that we have been able to stay connected through these distant times and carry on New Hampton traditions that have been in place for years.” Reflecting on her own experience and learning from her peers, Thompson gave her gratitude for the critical and creative minds around her.

The program followed with recognition of IB Diploma Candidates, service awards, academic awards, art awards, proctor appointments, International Student Ambassadors, Junior International Ambassadors, Class Presidents for 2020-2021, as well as Honor Board, and House Citizens of the Year awards. The teacher awards were also integrated into this ceremony, both of which are awards voted on by students.

Closing words

Following the celebratory program, Ethan Northcott ’20 shared closing remarks. Northcott echoed a feeling by many of the Class of 2020—the reality of learning when he would not be returning to campus this spring, and the ways in which he coped with that reality.

Sharing a pivotal change in his mindset about this new reality, Northcott constructed advice to his peers. “During my many idle hours, I read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, and I read a line that changed my whole perspective that I would like to share with you now. Anne wrote, ‘I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.’ As I thought about not having graduation or having to continue online classes in fall, I reverted to that line and realized that the future should not determine what I do in the present.

“We have the opportunity to do many things that were limited before, such as spending time with our families and loved ones or enjoying the beauty of nature that surrounds us. In nine short days, our school year will officially end, and we will cross our fingers in hopes of a memorable summer without social distancing. I ask the seniors to take a moment to reflect on the past four years and acknowledge your individual growth. I advise the juniors to slow down to enjoy every moment of your senior year and do not be hesitant to step outside of your comfort zone. Sophomores and freshmen, before you know it, your names will be called to receive your diplomas, even when times get stressful, do not grow weary but learn from every challenge you face.”

With thanks to all of the presenters and to Thompson and Northcott, Head of School Joe Williams closed the ceremony with congratulations to all of the honorees.

Congratulations to the following students recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions at New Hampton School.

Underclass Recognition

IB Diploma Candidate Recognition

The following members of the Class of 2021 completed their first year as IB Diploma Candidates:

Marcus Chan
Jenna Eisenmann
Dinwati “Dina” Hermawan
Georgina Hutzel
Xinran “Cathy” Li
Bridget McCallum
Emeline Pado
Sejal Patel
Daniel Pechr
Marek Pechr
Emma Robertson
Leon Schuette
Takamitsu Suzuki
Emma Yao
Junyao “Jone” Zhu

Proctor Appointments for 2020-2021:

Kareena Alam
Evan Britton
Connell Burnside
Marcus Chan
Courtney Colarullo
Cam Devlin
Ava Gosnell
Evan Guillory
Jack Hamill
Sophia Hausberger
Autumn James
Alex Karaban
Nora Kent
Lakelyn Keverline
Rory Keverline
Karen Komatsu
Darren Lombardozzi
Haozhan “Harry” Lu
Katie Matthews
Liliann McAdams
Jaewon Oh
Sage Patel
Sam Rivet
Emma Robertson
Hadley Rossignol
Andrew Sayles
Leon Schuette
George Shegog
Jo Tattersall
Maddy Young

International Student Ambassadors

Senior International Ambassadors
Dinawati “Dina” Hermawan
Mingwei “Aaron” Liu
Zhimeng “Janice” Liu
Liliann McAdams
Jane Vrba
Emma Yao

Junior International Ambassadors
Ke Chen
Haozhen “Harry” Lu
Mucheng “Max” Ma
Nga Nguyen
Alden Truesdale
Liyue “Cecily” Wang
Dominik Zeman

Honor Board Members

Student Chair: Lindsey Duggan
Evan Britton
Jenna Eisenmann
Jason Feinstein
Seraphina Hodgson
Rory Keverline
Ryan LeBrun
Hadley Rossignol
Haley Stanley
Lucy Thomson
Junyao “Jone” Zhu

Green & White Team Captains

Green Team – Sam Rivet
White Team – TJ McMahon

Student Body Co-Presidents

Emma Robertson
Cam Devlin

Class Presidents

Senior Class Co-Presidents: Sage Patel and Gabe Tyson
Junior Class Co-Presidents: Sophia Hausberger and Charlie Truesdale
Sophomore Class Co-Presidents: Oluchi Okananwa and Lucie Legro

Presidential Service Award

Andrew Bird
Ryan LeBrun

House Citizens of the Year

Haozhan (Harry) Lu – Small House
Takamitsu Suzuki – Phillips House
Brenna Young – Rice House
Alex Karaban – Veazey House
Alex Lowe – Caswell House
Sophia Hausberger – Lindsay House
Sage Patel – O’Connor House
Riccardo D’Agata – Ebbels House
Quinn McClelland – Lewis House
Quincy Paine – Draper House
Bonnie Anderson – Moore House
Subhana Branche – Moore House
Zach Goode – Galletly House

Athletic Awards

Joe Plaia Outstanding Male Athlete
William Wood

Joe Plaia Outstanding Female Athlete
Anna Shelden

Golden-Tilton Post-Graduate Award
Robert Farrell

Skip Howard Male Scholar-Athlete
Hunter Henderson

Skip Howard Female Scholar-Athlete
Seraphina Hodgson

Cum Laude Society

Current Members:

Davis Bone
Riccardo D’Agata
Tristan MacDonald
Samantha Thomas
Xinying “Sally” Wang

Inductees:

Alexander Bechard
Connor Campbell-Diehl
Leopold Spieler
Tulio Tagliaferri
William Wood

Teaching Awards

The Ralph S. O’Connor Excellence in Teaching Prize
Charlie Smith

The Barbara Guardenier Master Teaching Chair in Science Award
Dr. Kimberly Duncan

Academic Awards

Class of 2020 Awards

Visual Arts Award
Tristan MacDonald

Performing Arts Award
Eva Petschek

English Department Award
Danielle Momoh

History Department Award
Zola Braswell

Mathematics Department Award
Francesco Colombo
Samantha Thomas

Science Department Award
Xinying “Sally” Wang

World Language Department Award
Tulio Tagliaferri

Underclass Awards

The Scientific Inquiry Award
Marek Pechr

Scientific Achievement Award
Takamitsu Suzuki

Nathaniel Clifford Award for the Emerging Writer in History Award
Liliann McAdams

Walter Peterson Award for the Emerging Contributor in History Award
Anna Wolf

Spanish Young Language Award
Connell Burnside

French Young Language Award
Lily McAdams

Mathematical Communication Award
Charlie Truesdale

Mathematics Potential Award
Takamitsu Suzuki

Visual Arts Award
Zhiming “Janice” Liu

Music Award
Sophie Pankhurst

Theatre Award
Gillian Bonin

The Writing Prize
Talia Shirley

The Literature Prize
Sophia Hausberger