Spring Awards Ceremony, A Celebration of Excellence

The Class of 2024 celebrations kicked off Friday, May 24, with the Spring Awards Ceremony, which honors students for their academic, artistic and athletic excellence and their community commitment.

 

Head of School Elaine White began the ceremony by congratulating the Class of 2024 and their parents, families and friends. She asked all present to recognize the “beauty of this place and our lives on the Hill” and to offer silent thanks.

 

She also recognized the Dean of the Class of 2024 Julia Smith for her thoughtful, continuous and supportive stewardship. She told the class, “As your biggest fan and your most outspoken advocate, she has given you her heart, her extra time, her care and her guidance.”

 

White emphasized that none of the prize recipients achieved success solely by themselves. “This is a community that supports one another and recipients, in part, owe their success to the support and engagement of their peers, faculty and families,” she said.

 

After her remarks, Academic Dean Betsy Heckman announced the following Sixth Formers who have earned Summus for the spring term:

 

Michael Bianco

Carolyn Cheng

Tino DeFazio

Harvey DeMovick

Wills Erda

Cassie Goundrey

Madison Khuu

Johnathan Li

Margee Mahoney

Julia Matyas  

Alice Tao

Kimi Weng

Phil Zhang

 

Director of Theater and Dean of Student Life A-men Rasheed presented the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award to Hannah Maltby ’26.

 

 

Director of Athletics Timothy Joncas ’00 presented the spring athletic awards. He also acknowledged the retirement of several long-serving faculty members who have served as coaches, including Nancy Urner-Berry ’81, Scott Stevens and Judi Tolomea.

The Berry Award recognizes the player from each lower team who gave the best effort and demonstrated the best attitude throughout the season.

 

JV Boys Golf: Grant Owen ’24

JV Baseball: Brenden Gilooly ’26

JV Softball: Abigail Graham ’27

JV Boys’ Lacrosse: Brooks Berthiaume ’27

JV Girls’ Lacrosse: Abbey Cirelli ’27

JV Boys’ Tennis: Steven Chun ’25

JV Girls’ Tennis: Eliza Cabot ’24

3rd Girls’ Tennis: Lulu Dawson ’27

3rd Boys Tennis: Harvey DeMovick ’24

 

Michelini MIP: Alex Mihailovich ’25

Lea MVP: Jack Sheldon ’24

 

MIG: Julien Kocatas ’26

MVG: Brody DiBeneditto’26, Will McCarthy ’25

 

MIG: Lucy Wainwright ’25

Stevens MVG: Cindion Huang ’25

 

Hovey Ground Ball Award: Aiden “AJ” Kraus ’26

Class of 1981 MIP: Hunter Grace ’27

Hovey MVP: Drew Knight ’24

 

Ground Ball Award: Hadley Crowther ’25 Margaret Dilks ’24

MIP: Charlotte Radin ’25, Julia Matyas ’24

Kurtz MVP: Alex Musser ’26

 

MIP: Gabby de la Fe ’26

MVP: Marleigh Monroe ’24

MIP: Hugh Olson ’25

Davenport MVP: David Suit ’24, Will Whiting ’24

 

MIP: Clover Cooper ’26

MVP: Nora Davis ’24

 

MIT: Benji Hanson ’27

Scull MVT: Daniel Edwards ’24

MIT: Emme Pacheco-Hager ’25

Scull MVT: Elysse Cumberland ’24

 

Ultimate Frisbee:

MIT: Anthony DiBartolomeo ’26 ‘24

MVP: Alex Wood ’25

 

The Stephen Harris Squibb Bowl awards honors the athlete from each varsity team who demonstrated the greatest sportsmanship, consistent effort and inspired performance.

 

Baseball: Vinny Maslauskas ’24

Boys’ Golf: Reed Ghriskey ’26

Girls’ Golf: Taylor Horgan ’24

Boys’ Lacrosse: Reid Bulger ’24

Girls’ Lacrosse: Margee Mahoney ’24

Softball: Olivia Gordon ’24

Boys’ Tennis: Finn Hocking ’26

Girls’ Tennis: Cecily Belford ’24

Boys’ Track: James O’Connell ’25

Girls’ Track: Adrienne Hall ’25

Ultimate: Dane Moliterno ’24

 

The All-Founders League Award is given to two members of each Varsity team. The award is given in recognition of those student athletes who best exemplify the league ideals of sportsmanship, hard work and character in the spirit of competition and fair play at the varsity level.

 

Baseball: Evin Curtiss ’24, Shaw Turto ’25

Boys’ Golf: Brody DiBeneditto ’26, Will McCarthy ’25

Girls Golf: Ella Ungerman ’24, Taylor Horgan ’24

Boys’ Lacrosse: Jake Carbone ’24, Jackson Alpaugh ’24

Girls’ Lacrosse: Tilly Lynch ’25, Liza Merill ’25

Softball: Paige Herlihy ’25, Anna Hassett ’27

Boys’ Tennis: David Suit ’24 and Liam Hibbard ’27

Girls Tennis: Remi Morello ’25 and Lauren Neuman ’25

Boys Track and Field: Reggie Kanu ’25, Daniel Edwards ’24

Girls Track and Field: Elysse Cumberland ’24, Adrienne Hall ‘’25

Ultimate: Alex Wood ’24, Henry Warner ’25

 

The Hopley-Jackson Award is given to the Westminster lower team or teams with the best season:

 Team: JV Girls’ Tennis and JV Boys’ Lacrosse

Coaches: Peter Doucette (Girls’ Tennis); Mike Lawler, Chris White, Julien Nicolas (Boys’ Lacrosse)

Captains: Westie Strawbridge ’24, Colby Smith ’24, Eliza Cabot ’24 (Girls’ Tennis); Cayden Darnowski ’25 (Boys’ Lacrosse)

 

 The Frederick D. Houghton Award is given to the Westminster team or teams with the best season:

Team: Varsity Softball and Varsity Boys’ Golf

Coaches: Mitch Overbye, Nicole Garcia (Softball), Greg Marco (Boys’ Golf)

Captains: Marleigh R. Monroe ’24, Olivia F. Gordon ’24, Mia R. Magriz ’25 (softball), Daniel Venture ’24 (Boys’ Golf)

 

The Daly Award was established in 2012 in honor of Dennis A. Daly, who served as a longtime teacher, coach, athletic director and mentor. The award recognizes students who have competed at the varsity level for all three seasons of their Sixth Form year and have demonstrated both a wonderful breadth of athletic pursuits and an extraordinary commitment to the highest level of Westminster sports:

 

Margaret Dilks

Liv Emerson

Olivia Gordon

Drew Knight

Margaret Mahoney

Owen O’Farrell

Nolan Styspeck

Will Whiting

 

Brian T. Bruyette Award is voted on by varsity coaches and is given to that Sixth Form boy and girl (this year two girls were awarded) who through their enthusiasm, sportsmanship, effort and skills, represent all that is best in the school.

 

Jackson Raymond

Olivia Gordon

Jillian Gregorski

 

Six Community Pins, which recognize students, faculty and staff for their extraordinary community commitment, were awarded to the following:

 

Gina Eddy, registrar, for her amazing organization and exceptional attention to detail and keeping the academic train running on time from scheduling to bells, to administering AP exams to overseeing course registration.

 

Simon Stambaugh ’26 and Luke Rodrigues ’27 for their work as commentators for our sporting events. “The live feed would not be nearly as exciting without their hard work and dedication,” White said.

 

Jillian Mihailovich ’25 for tutoring Third Form students who are struggling with executive functioning skills. Every student with whom she worked has seen improvement in their grades.

 

Kerry Masiero, executive assistant to the head of school, who “is the mastermind behind the administrative team at Westminster,” White said. “She keeps us in line and sane. She is the reason this graduation is happening.”

 

Phil Zhang ’24 speaks to us in the language of music, White said. “We look forward to his performances, whether it's an end of term concert or listening to him play during an art gallery showing. He's made our lives a little more beautiful with his music.”

 

The Avery H. Bevin ’59 Kindness Award, established this year by the family of Avery H. Bevin ’59, will be presented each term to a student who displays the attributes of kindness, grace, inclusion and care for individuals. The recipient of this award is chosen through nominations from the student body.

This year’s recipient, Sophia Peterson ’24, has been a model of empathy for Third Form students. She has been there to support so many of them and mature enough to reach out to adults with concerns that go beyond the help she can provide. She is genuinely invested in our younger students and works tirelessly to ensure their experience here is as positive as possible.

 

The Joan Howard Award, established in 2022 by Julie Morris Ogden ’82, is given in honor of Joan Howard P’00, ’03, who served the Westminster School community for 20 years as an English teacher, a coach and a vital member of the admissions team. This award is given to a tour guide whose devotion to learning and the Westminster community exemplifies that same depth of passion, dedication and interest in others: Henry Flaton ’25.

 

The Gazenmuller-Buckey Award is given annually to the student who contributed the most to Admissions this year: Jackson Raymond ’24.

 

Outstanding Community Service Award is presented to the student who demonstrates extraordinary service and commitment to the Westminster community: Aisha Rozi ’24

 

The Horizons at Westminster Award for service: Taylor Schuster ’24 and Alice Tao ’24. In addition, the Horizons co-heads also presented a check for $5,000 to Executive Director Patrick Owens from the Class of 2024, the remaining balance from their class gift following the renovation of Keyes Patio.

 

Brian T. Bruyette Award is voted on by varsity coaches and is given to that Sixth Form boy and girl (this year two girls were awarded) who through their enthusiasm, sportsmanship, effort and skills, represent all that is best in the school.

 

Jackson E. Raymond

Olivia F. Gordon

Jillian C. Gregorski

 

Academic Dean Betsy Heckman presented the following academic awards and prizes:

 

Edward Scull, Jr., Award for Excellence in Architecture: Jake Holland ’24

 

Cowing Art Award: Mia Lee ’24

 

The Gretchen Hupfel ’82 Art Prize: Morgan Curtis ’24, Harvey DeMovick ’24 and Maya Tavare ’24

 

Judi Tolomea Dance Award for U=Outstanding Contributions: Fundee Tongtip ’24

 

The J. Lawrence Gilman Award for Achievement in Music and Participation in Musical Activities: Carolyn Cheng ’24, Phil Zhang ’24

 

The Lewis J. Powers Photography Award: Aniela Apteker ’24, Elizabeth Pruellage ’24

 

Dramatic Award for Service and Achievement in Acting: Taylor Schuster ’24

 

The Dramatic Award for Service and Leadership: Morgan Curtis ’24

 

Brian Ford Writing Prize: Cindion Huang ’25 and Lucy Wainwright ’25

 

Critchell Rimington Creative Writing Award: Asia Daniela Odong ’24

 

Gordon McKinley Award for Excellence in English: Cassie Goundrey ’24

 

Fifth Form History Essay Prize: Remi Morello ’25

 

Robert Rodney History Prize: Khang Ngo ’27

 

Peter Briggs Prize for Excellence in Economics: Wills Erda ’24

 

Class of 1941 Peter Mars Memorial History Prize: Margee Mahoney ’24

 

Burdett Prize for Excellence in the study of French: Sophia Peterson ’24

 

Moncada Prize for Excellence in Spanish: Aniela Apteker ’24 and Allison Reich ’24

 

Kevin Kwok-Fun Chau ’79 Prize for Excellence in Chinese: Madison Khuu ’24

 

Richard P. Hopely Excellence in Latin Prize: Johnathan Li ’24

 

Joyce Wilson Prize for Excellence in Mathematics: Johnathan Li ’24

 

Excellence in Physics: Johnathan Li ’24

 

Excellence in Biology: Kimi Weng ’24

 

The Nancy Urner-Berry ’81 Prize for Excellence in Chemistry: Kimi Weng ’24

 

Excellence in Science: Kimi Weng ’24

 

Dartmouth Book Award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding academic and leadership qualities and who high moral character, imagination and concern for others has made a positive impact on the school community: Finn Seeley

 

Harvard Book Prize is given to a Fifth Former who has achieved at the highest level in our most challenging courses and who demonstrates intellectual curiosity, diligence and love of learning in all subjects across the curriculum: Lucy Wainwright

 

Trinity Book Award is presented to Fifth Former who consistently performs at the highest academic level and whose impressive work ethic and dedication reflect a commitment to challenging oneself in all aspects of our program: Cindion Huang

 

Yale Book Award is presented a Fifth Former who demonstrates superb academic achievement in all subjects across the curriculum and whose intellectual curiosity and passion for learning serve as a model to the school community: Viktoriia Voitiuk

 

Yearbook Dedication: Spectator editors announced the 2024 yearbook dedication to retiring faculty member Nancy Urner-Berry ’81.

To see a recording of the event, click here.
To see more photos, which you can download, click here.