Students, Faculty and Staff Recognized at Winter Awards Ceremony

Headmaster Graham Cole opened the Winter Awards Assembly March 25 by talking about high-profile awards ceremonies such as the Winter Olympics and the Academy Awards and how easy it is to forget the names of those who receive awards at these events.

“The people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, the greatest fame, or the most awards,” he explained. “They are the ones who know you, who care about you, who make a difference in your life. Those people probably will not win an award today, but fundamentally, that's not really important.

“So even as we salute our award winners today, and I do not want for a minute to diminish their significant achievements, let’s also keep people in mind who have truly achieved in those personal ways that make a difference in our daily lives.”

He cited among the highlights for the winter term: a beautiful Candlelight Service; a successful winter Parents’ Weekend; an outstanding winter arts festival; the winter musical, "Godspell”; numerous athletic accomplishments; and academic achievements. “All told, a very good term, with much to proud of and thankful for,” he said.

Academic Awards

Director of Studies Greg Marco and the deans presented the following academic awards:

Third Form:

Summus

Julia Emily Benson, Marissa Milly Eklund, Margaret Ahl Garrison, Bridget Marie Gorham, Gregory Charles Jarvis, Julie Desmond LeBlanc, Jane Haiyon Lee, Alexandra Chiara Marshall, Charles Xavier Morin, Dana Julia Niland, Sydney Grace Rivers, Morgan Anna Rubin, Stanley Spencer Sandoval, Eleni Marie Tebano and Ronald Man Ho Yeung

Fourth Form:

Summus

Judner Attys, Ellen Barnes Baker, Caroline Hendrie Brady, Alana Kelly Carpenter, Alex Anthony Chaffee, Marquez Nivét Cummings, Christiann Ross DeSimone, Hadley Elizabeth DesMeules, Sarah Kerr Dimmitt, Darby Ellis Drake, Isha Aakriti Garg, James William Green, Kathleen Kerrigan Gudas, Elena Jungwon Kim, Matthew Gregory Knudson, Marielle Rose Lafaire, Michael Arthur LeBlanc, Joo Hee Lee, Jiaxuan Lu, Quan Anh Vu Luu, Marissa Wickman Mason, Jacob William Medina, Meaghan Ann O’Herron, Tyler Leighton O’Neil, Gwendolyn Rea Pastor, Caroline Anne Pluta, David Emmet Shipway, Seung Bum Sonn, Logan Hippach Spalding, Pasquale Patrick Spano, Shilong Tang, Emily Ann Teschner, Dillon Stuart Tiner, Aaron Matthew Ugalde and Sungsoo Yoon

Fifth Form:

Summus

Grant Douglas Brainerd, Casey Ellen Breese, Katherine H Cheng, Jae Hee Cho, Andrea Claire Cross, John Michael Eder, Nora Patricia Edmonds, Bridget Alyce Eklund, Caitlin Campbell Fabbri, Olivia Paula Frank, Charles Murphy Geitz, Kathryn Wilkins Griffith, Kathryn Judith Hill, Kaleigh McKenzie Kelley, Edward Kim, Vanessa Heart Larracuente, Matthew Charles Leach, Hannah Meeker Leathers, Jacob J. Lee, Nicholas John Liberator, Nicholas Michael Mahany, Andrew Richard Marco, Louise Ahern Marenakos, Ashley Elizabeth Mercede, Sarah Caroline Ogden, Stephanie Rae Piperno, Marguerite Glass Prescod, Emily Schrumpf Schwartz, Rebecca Louise Wardell and Shishan Zhang

Sixth Form:

Summus

Kwaku Obeng Akoi, Vladimír Bok, Kathryn Clarke Brady, Anne Elizabeth Cervas, Gerard Paul Denoyer, Brook Geremew, Alex James Gioia, Jacqueline Denise Grant, Isabelle Patterson Hill, Sean Paul Kelley, Jeanne Suhn Ju Kim, Madeleine Heather Ann King, Riana Margaret MacKenzie, Suchita Mandavilli, Madelin Lillian McPhee, Tammie Victoria Moopenn, Francheska Munoz, Connor Edward O’Brien, Charlotte Louise O’Herron, Colby Carpenter O’Neil, Tanakrit Rungrojchaiporn, Kingsley Manning Schroeder, William Haig Smith, Emily Marie Paradis Snoddon, Adam Paul Susaneck, Clare Everett Ulrich, Margaret Benton Wyatt, Karin Yoshida and Martha Alicia Zamora

Athletic Awards

Scott Berry presented the winter athletic awards beginning with the Berry Awards that recognize the player from each lower team who gave the best effort and demonstrated the best attitude throughout the season.

Third Boys’ Basketball: Cameron Kurtz

Second Boys’ Basketball: Gordon Santry

Second Girls’ Basketball: Alexandra Colon

Third Boys’ Hockey: Ryan Hallisey

Second Boys’ Hockey: Ryan Strange

Second Girls’ Hockey: Maddie McPhee

Fourth Squash: Peter Tang

Third Boys’ Squash: Kip Denoyer

Second Boys’ Squash: Alessandro Giacometti

Third Girls’ Squash: Libby Kelter and Sayre Reimer

Second Girls’ Squash: Whitney Powel

First Team Awards:

First Boys’ Basketball

Most Improved Player: Sean Kelley

Keyes Foul Shooting: Rafi Rojas

The Donald H. Werner Most Valuable Player: Greg Miller

First Girls’ Basketball

Most Improved Player: Karin Yoshida

Keyes Foul Shooting: Corinne Werner

Most Valuable Player: Corinne Werner

First Boys’ Hockey

Most Improved Player: Jeff Smolens

Most Valuable Player: Ryan Tyson

First Girls’ Hockey

Most Improved Player: Eleni Tebano

Most Valuable Player: Sara Ugalde and Amanda Boulier

Most Valuable Player New England Prep School Tournament: Paige Decker

First Boys’ Squash

The Talbot/Edwards Most Improved Player: Matt Leach

The Fritz Zeller Most Valuable Player: Ross Bolling and Michael LeBlanc

First Girls’ Squash

The Talbot/Edwards Most Improved Player: Charlotte O’Herron

The Fritz Zeller Most Valuable Player: Alexandra Marshall

Boys’ Swimming and Diving

Most Improved Swimmer/Diver: Josh Kokulis

Most Valuable Swimmer/Diver: Javier Vargas and Colin McLaughlin

Girls’ Swimming and Diving

Most Improved Swimmer/Diver: Natalie Biedron

Most Valuable Swimmer/Diver: Rebecca Wardell

The Stephen Harris Squibb Bowl awards, which honor the athlete from each first team who demonstrated the greatest sportsmanship, consistent effort and inspired performance throughout the season, were given to:

First Boys’ Basketball: Steven Seymour

First Girls’ Basketball: Kingsley Schroeder

First Boys’ Hockey: Brian McQuillan

First Girls’ Hockey: Paige Decker

First Boys’ Squash: Cris Gomez

First Girls’ Squash: Olivia Frank

Boys’ Swimming and Diving: Conor O’Brien

Girls’ Swimming and Diving: Maddie Garnett

The Hopley-Jackson Award, which is given to the Westminster lower team with the best season, was presented to:

Second Boys’ Hockey

Coaches: Peter Briggs and Charlie Griffith

Captains: Ben Ross, alternate Oscar Ladd

The Frederick D. Houghton Award, which is given to the Westminster team with the best season, was presented to:

First Girls’ Hockey: Division I New England Champions

Coaches: David Pope and Jess Keeley

Captains: Sara Uglade and Paige Decker

The winter team captains then introduced the first team captains-elect for next winter as:

Boys’ Basketball: TBD

Girls’ Basketball: Marielle Lafaire, Eliza Breed and Louise Marenakos

Boys’ Hockey: Peter Michalidis and Corey Taber

Girls’ Hockey: Rachel Farrel and Amanda Boulier

Boys’ Swimming and Diving: Eric Wainman and Josh Kokulis

Girls’ Swimming and Diving: Caitlin Fabbri and Emily Schwartz

Boys’ Squash: Matt Leach

Girls’ Squash: Olivia Frank and Chessy di Galoma

Performing Arts

In the performing arts, Theater Director Rob Lazar presented the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award to Grace Brown.

He then introduced the newest members of Dramat, the student dramatic organization requiring 120 hours of service on at least two different Westminster productions, as Tiffany Liu, Heather Frew and Ryan Smythe.

Headmaster’s Awards

In the final segment of the ceremony, Headmaster Cole presented the Headmaster’s Awards, which recognize members of the Westminster community “who added to the school's success, tone and spirit, especially in the areas of service, leadership and citizenship.” The award comes in the form of a gold Westminster lapel pin.

The recipients were Francheska Munoz ’10 for a performance at the winter arts festival “that should remind us all of what artists do, why we enjoy them and what long hours they give to prepare”; Ellen Hannah, a member of the Alumni and Development Office, for “giving countless hours this winter, especially during this last month, to our Admissions Office, helping them to implement and learn the new Blackbaud system, which serves as the new technology platform for their operations”; faculty member Scott Berry who “stepped in to take on the major responsibilities of Athletic Director on top of his own regular duties with nary a complaint and performed splendidly in all of his roles”; and First Girls’ Hockey captains, Paige Decker and Sara Ugalde, and coaches, Dave Pope and Jess Keeley, “on behalf of our 20-win, New England champion girls’ hockey team.” Headmaster Cole praised the team saying, “Great teams have great soul and heart, or better yet, Grit and Grace, and this team put those qualities on display throughout the seasons on the ice, in the locker room and the fitness center.”