After persevering through a high school career marked by many new ways of learning, 17 seniors have reached the pinnacle of academic success at Byram Hills High School.
On October 20, the students whose weighted GPA put them in the top 10% of the Class of 2023 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society, an honor society for academic achievement.
The students are Chloe Bernstein, Sydney Black, Milena Chan, Allison Cooper, Abby Eickelbeck, Alaska Fairbanks, Lily Feldman, Aliza Hammond, Callie Higgins, Casey Maryyanek, Remi Matza, Samantha Milewicz, Lindsay Miller, Caleb Palappillil, Isabelle Sampere, Max Teitelbaum and Kelsey Vaquero.
Principal Christopher Walsh welcomed families to the induction ceremony in the high school theater, thanked them for helping the students become the learners they are today and congratulated the inductees for their tremendous accomplishment.
Mr. Walsh noted that the inductees were able to find academic success even as so many changes to the educational process were thrown their way in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“They have had to improvise, adapt and overcome for the overwhelming majority of their high school experience,” Mr. Walsh said. “Not only that, these 17 students managed to do it all at the highest levels. Their academic achievement really is incredible given the uniqueness of their experience.”
By tradition, the students invited teachers who made a difference in their learning to the ceremony, and those faculty members were recognized with a round of applause. “The lasting impact that these teachers have will be felt long after the content is forgotten,” Mr. Walsh said.
Delivering the Cum Laude address, English teacher Jessica Shaw discussed the importance of failure.
“I commend you for your drive,” she said to the students. “You will go on to achieve all those things that our society needs to prosper. You are the game changers, the visionaries, the best of our future.”
But, she urged them, do not fear failing along the way to success. Don’t avoid potential embarrassment for the sake of your egos, she told them, and don’t let mistakes hold you back from your goals.
“Before, during and after you make that indelible mark on the path you set out on, you have to, well, mess up,” Ms. Shaw said. “I want to remind you just how those mistakes that you will make in your future will be just as crucial to your achievements. Failure, mistakes: they’re the greatest indicators that you have taken risks, and none of us can live a rich life without those chances that we take.”
Ms. Shaw told the inductees that as they celebrate becoming esteemed members of Cum Laude and await their college decisions, remember that mistakes and regrets “teach you the most about yourself, and others and the world.”
“It’s those moments, the ones you want to cover your face thinking about, the ones you want to forget ever happened, it’s those times that really bring you closer to your own greatness,” Ms. Shaw said.
She concluded by telling students that when they start college, their jobs and adulthood, to remember that on the night of their Cum Laude induction, “you also made a silent pact with Ms. Shaw to be the achiever who isn’t ever afraid to fail.”
Dr. Sandra Abt, the president of the Byram Hills chapter of the society, urged the inductees to cherish their remaining days at Byram Hills and to use the unexpected in their lives to make good choices.
“You have gotten an excellent foundation here at Byram Hills,” she said, adding: “Train your mind to think regardless of what it is thinking about. You will discover that your education, knowledge and critical mind will liberate you. Your future lies before you. Make the most of it.”
Dr. Abt also announced the new faculty inductee, Catherine Eshoo, who will deliver next year’s Cum Laude address.
“She is hard working and focused,” Dr. Abt said, calling her the “quintessential English teacher.” “She loves teaching and being with her students. She loves to learn and she imparts this value to her students each day by example.”
The student inductees were each recognized and they crossed the stage to receive a certificate.
The high school jazz choir began the ceremony with a beautiful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and also sang “How High the Moon” and “93 Million Miles.” Junior Valentina Marino played the piano at the start and end of the ceremony.
The Cum Laude Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1906 that honors academic achievement in secondary schools. It has 382 chapters, primarily in independent schools. The Byram Hills chapter is one of about two dozen public school chapters.
They are from left, in the front row: Lily Feldman, Caleb Palappillil, Max Teitelbaum, Isabelle Sampere; in the second row: Abby Eickelbeck, Kelsey Vaquero, Alaska Fairbanks, Milena Chan; the third row: Callie Higgins, Allison Cooper, Chloe Bernstein, Lindsay Miller, Aliza Hammond; and in the back row: Casey Maryyanek, Samantha Milewicz, Sydney Black, Remi Matza.