Before entering into a week of celebrating the Class of 2018 graduates, the community gathered on Friday evening for the Underclass Awards ceremony, recognizing students who have made significant contributions to the School in academics, service, athletics, and arts. These underclass students will be asked to step up as leaders next year and fill the roles left by next week’s graduates.
Director of Studies Matt Fisk opened the ceremony by reminding students of the school theme they selected to guide them through the year. “In September we began the school year with the theme of Rise Up. Around campus teachers and students embraced this theme by engaging in rigorous classroom activities and assessments that challenged them to apply what they were learning to the real world.”
Following a thoughtful ceremony celebrating many accomplished students and a wonderful school year, Head of School Joe Williams closed with the following remarks:
“To the faculty and staff in the room, I applaud your efforts to engage, inspire, and guide the students in your care.
While we recognized individual achievement this evening, none of this would be possible without you and the important work you have dedicated yourself to this year.
As I am sure each and every person in this room will acknowledge, the pace of our year has picked up considerably in the last two weeks. It is hard to believe the end is here, some of which stems from my own anxiety regarding my “to do” list. But in all truth, the next week is going to be a blur, and while you have important tasks to complete, be sure to accomplish four things.
First
Reflect on your year in a meaningful way. Find time and quiet space to consider the things you are most proud of and write them down. This is your time to privately celebrate whatever it is that makes you feel good about this year.
Second
Thank the adults in your life who helped make this year possible. Your parents, your advisor, an important teacher, a house parent, or coach. Make sure the people who have positively impacted you or helped make a New Hampton experience possible, know how much they mean to you. Trust me, this simple gesture means a lot to the recipient.
Third
Spend time with your friends to avoid that last-minute feeling that you haven’t had time for goodbye, whether it is for the summer, in the case of returning students, or beyond, for those graduating.
Fourth
While we will miss our graduating seniors, now is the time for underclassmen to step up and start planning for next year and how you will make it as meaningful as possible. What will your goals be? What will you need to do to reach them? How will you get involved in new ways that broaden your experience and make life here in Husky Nation more enjoyable for everyone.”
Congratulations to the following students that were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions at New Hampton School. We look forward to their ongoing leadership and growth in the coming years
IB Diploma Candidate Recognition
The following members of the Class of 2017 completed their first year as IB Diploma Candidates: Christopher Malick Ba Oumar, Juan Pablo Valenzuela, Regis Zhou, Jun Cha, Christopher Fridlington, Leopold Kraus, Evgeniya Mirmanova, Yanabi Sierra, Allison Soper, Nataliya Bakhareva, Carter Cress, Andrea Flores Pavon, Oleksandra Kopyova, Yikuan Liao, Madison Joy Nelson, Jiayi Shen, Michael Teeven
Underclass Award Recipients
Skip Howard Male Scholar Athlete: William Wood
Skip Howard Female Scholar Athlete: Anna Shelden
President’s Volunteer Service Award: Claire Gardner, Ruby Schechter, Jun Cha, Allison Soper, Evgeniya Mirmanova, Paige Dumont
O’Hara Teaching Prize for English: B Cornog
The Scientific Inquiry Award: Gillian Bonin
Scientific Achievement Award: Alyxandra Huckabee
Emerging Writer in History Award: Claire Gardner
Emerging Contributor in History Award: Averill McCorkle
Spanish Young Language Award: Ruby Schechter
French Young Language Award: Christopher Fridlington
Mandarin Young Language Award: Vanina Sezalory
Mathmatical Communication Award: Seth Wilkinson
Mu Alpha Theta Underclass Mathlete of the Year: Runshi Zhou
Fine Arts Award: Heyue Zhao
Music Award: Emily White
Theatre Award: Eva Petschek
The Writing Prize: Guoshunran Liu
The Literature Prize: Claire Gardner
