Twenty-one Byram Hills High School seniors were recognized for their outstanding academic achievement as they were inducted into the Cum Laude Society.
The selection of the students, inducted on Oct. 17, was based on their GPAs.
The students are Keira Eckhardt, Sabrina Feng, Laurel Fox, Sophia Getz, Emily Goldman, Gabriel Goldman, Casey Goldstein, Zoe Harris, Chloe Kohl, Sebastian Lashmet, Andrew Levy,
Cooper Lipton, Julia Mahairas, Kayleigh McLaughlin, Sarina Metsch, Maya Molloy, Sarah Park,
Abigael Rondeau, Aaron Stein, Jordyn Wolf and Emmett Wolland.
In welcoming remarks, Principal Christopher Walsh congratulated the students, praised their hard work and dedication, and thanked their families for supporting them throughout their academic journey.
“I love this ceremony and what it signifies for our school,” he said. “It provides us with the opportunity to spotlight and celebrate these students whose outstanding academic achievement and attainment of scholarship set them apart,” he said.
When the inductees were just starting ninth grade, Mr. Walsh asked them to write their favorite quote or motto on an index card. He read their quotes at the induction ceremony, to share insights about them and what helped them reach this point.
“Be optimistic but realistic,” read one. “You can do it. Just keep trying. You’ll get it done. You just have to believe,” read another. A third said: “Be the best version of yourself and always keep your head up.”
“Hopefully, what you hear on these index cards continues to inspire you and hopefully it resonates with you about the person you were and the person that you’ve become,” Mr. Walsh told them.
The quotes, he said, show “your commitment and your humor, your courage, your curiosity, your grit, your individuality and the overall belief in yourself. It’s important to remind yourselves of that from time to time.”
In the Cum Laude address, Mathematics Chairperson Lisa Pellegrino discussed vulnerability, an idea she decided on during last year’s induction ceremony as she watched the choir perform and saw the students being vulnerable as they sang. Vulnerability is important for students, she said.
“As a teacher, I try to make my classroom a safe space for all of my students to be able to succeed academically, a place that allows them to build stronger connections between themselves and with me, and a place that celebrates mistakes as learning opportunities, a place for them to have a deeper understanding of the material,” Ms. Pellegrino said. “But this can only happen if I build a space that is safe for them to take risks.”
She urged the students to allow themselves to be vulnerable.
“Continue to keep this vulnerability throughout your senior year, your college and beyond,” she said. “I can tell you as parents, we too feel vulnerable, watching you take risks and face challenges, but we trust in your ability to learn and to grow.”
The inductees were each called by name to receive a certificate and commemorative pin.
Dr. Sandra Abt, president of the Byram Hills chapter of the Cum Laude Society, congratulated the inductees and told them they have built an excellent foundation at Byram Hills.
“Cherish your remaining days here,” she said. “Appreciate the knowledge and skills you are learning. Appreciate your teachers and friends, strive to make a difference and do good. Don’t be complacent. Use the unexpected in your life and the occasional failure to make good choices. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”
Dr. Abt announced the new faculty member of the society, mathematics teacher Rebecca Barnum.
The Jazz Choir performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “I Can’t Stop (How Can I Keep From Singing?). Senior Evan McCauley played piano selections at the start and end of the ceremony.
The Cum Laude Society, founded in 1906, honors scholastic achievement in secondary schools. There are 382 chapters, and some 4,000 students are inducted annually.
To view the induction ceremony, CLICK HERE.
