WYNNEWOOD, Pa. – On Friday, May 16, Friends’ Central School held its annual Upper School Academic Awards Assembly, in which students were recognized for their outstanding efforts in academics, arts, athletics, service, and citizenship. Highlighting the assembly was the induction of 19 members of the Class of 2014 into the Cum Laude Society.
The Cum Laude Society recognizes the distinguished academic record of students during their Friends’ Central career. Head of School Craig Sellers addressed this year’s inductees by saying that, as members of the Friends’ Central Cum Laude Society, part of their responsibilities is “to make some contribution to the ongoing search for greater understanding of the world in which we live.” The 2014 inductees into the Friends’ Central School Cum Laude Society are: Rohan Alur, Zander Bashaw, Jenna Bergmann, Lauren Callans, Emma Dahle, Peter Dissinger, Elizabeth Flick, Emily Flick, Jordyn Karliner, Claudia Kassner, Julie Levitan, Max Luzuriaga, Chiara Neilson, Michael Nguyen, Maya Rosenberg, Lindsay Saligman, Emilia Weinberg, Julia Weiss, and Emma Xu.
The Language Award, given by the Language Department, recognizes juniors and seniors who have exhibited exceptional achievement on an advanced level and enthusiasm in their foreign language studies, was awarded to Lauren Callans, Claudia Kassner, Lindsay Saligman, and Emma Xu.
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The History Paper Prize, given by the History Department to highlight the best of the junior American History papers, was awarded to Emily Flick, Michael Kleiman, and Lindsay Saligman.
The Mathematical Association of America and Friends’ Central School presented the Mathematical Award to Colin Roberts, who scored the highest on the Annual American high School Mathematics Examination.
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The Science Award, presented by the faculty of the Science Department to those seniors who have demonstrated excellence in scientific scholarship and achievement and have shown breadth of study across the science disciplines, was presented to Jenna Bergmann.
Sponsored by the English Department, The Poets and Playwrights Prize, which recognizes the work of poets and dramatists in our student community, was presented to Carlos Price-Sanchez.
The Ramsey Award for Prose, founded by writer, editor, and public relations director Mary Ann Ramsey ’41, which recognizes a writer for a piece of fiction or non-fiction prose, was presented to Sara Thal.
The Music Award, given in recognition of loyalty, service, and contributions to the Music Department to students who demonstrated excellence in composition, performance, and academic achievement, was presented to Camille Seidel and Matthew Strahan.
Certificates for Service Recognition, recognizing students who have completed 40 or more hours of community service – outside of the Friends’ Central-required service – for a non-profit agency, were presented to Charles Blumberg, Zayn Carey, Andrew DeMichele, Sarah Estey, Tatiana Franklin, Max Ginsberg, Leah Harris, Madeline Henry, Colin Hitt, Anne Kennedy, Simon Kim, Richard Price-Sanchez, Elizabeth Raphaely, Sophie Ritt, Maura Schlaff, Remi Schwartz, Benjamin Shapiro, Joseph Simon, Claire Szapary, Hannah Szapary, Lindsay Talemal, Emma Verges, Matthew Wilson, and Marc Woolley.
The Benjamin V. Ogden Memorial Award, created by the children of Benjamin Ogden, the first director of Friends’ Central’s summer day camp and P.E. teacher at Overbrook High School and Temple University, to recognize students who embody the spirit of Benjamin Ogden, whose well-roundedness has been an example to our community, was presented to Jerome Allen, Zander Bashaw, Emma Dahle, Michael Nguyen, and Emilia Weinberg.
The John H. McCollum Memorial Award, in honor of John H. McCollum, former English teacher and the first dean of the senior class beloved by students who appreciated his honesty, his high expectations, and his willingness to listen, was established by the Home and School Association to honor students whose generosity of spirit, like McCollum’s, has touched the Friends’ Central community, whose warmth, wit, and openness to all has fostered collaboration instead of competition, who have acted often behind-the-scenes, without drawing much attention to themselves, was presented to: Cristian Clothier, Isabel Nardi, Andrew Winig, and Emma Xu.
The Susan Durnford Snipes Memorial Award, in honor of Susan Durnford, a former biology teacher at FCS whose life resonated with joy: joy found in living, joy found in serving, joy found in teaching, joy found in people, is given to those students who have joyfully and with integrity served the community of Friends’ Central while students here, was presented to: Jenna Bergmann, Peter Dissinger, Max Luzuriaga, Julia Lynn, Matthew Strahan, and Julia Weiss.
The Calvin H. Rankin, Jr. Memorial Award, given to those students who embody the spirit of Calvin Rankin, a 1943 graduate of Friends’ Central who is remembered for his sensitive spirit, his love of writing and music, and especially for his character, which combined gentleness with integrity, was presented to Claudia Kassner, Lindsay Saligman, and Jennifer Thal.
The Leola Adelaide Smith Memorial Award, given to those students who embody the spirit of Leola Adelaide Smith, a 1974 graduate of Friends’ Central remembered for her dignity, integrity, love of people, her talent in music and art, and imbuing all of her activities with a sense of her presence as a member of the group, with an eye toward the whole group’s function not only her own individual contribution, was presented to Maggie Nierenberg, Camille Seidel, and Ali Schindler.
The Florence Jackson Award, given to that girl in the senior class, who, through her dedication and love of sports, has shown to the coaches the outstanding qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and spirit, which Mrs. Jackson sought to instill, was presented to Kathryn Forrest and Isabel Nardi.
The David Kirk Memorial Award, given to a boy, who, through his dedication and love of sports, has shown to his coaches the outstanding qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and spirit, which David Kirk sought to instill, was presented to Jerome Allen and Justin Robson.
The Outstanding Senior Athlete Award, given to members of the graduating class who have demonstrated outstanding skills in athletic competition as members of at least two Friends’ Central Varsity teams during their senior year, exhibiting athletic achievement, leadership ability, and sportsmanship throughout their high school careers, was presented to Emma Dahle and Carlos Price-Sanchez.
Special Award Presentation, given for perfect attendance during all four years of Upper School, was presented to Jamal Sample.
The Executive Award, given to a boy and girl in the Upper School, who, by vote of students and faculty, represent the highest qualifications of school citizenship, was presented to Matthew Strahan and Isabel Nardi.
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Friends’ Central School is a Quaker, independent, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students in nursery school through grade 12. Located on two campuses in Wynnewood, Pa., Friends’ Central blends a rigorous curriculum with enduring Quaker principles of kindness, compassion, and generosity of spirit to create a solid foundation for a future of opportunity and success. Students at Friends’ Central are taught to think critically and creatively, and learn the value of good character and strong work ethic to develop into thoughtful and determined citizens. The graduates of Friends’ Central and their impact on the world are proof that Quaker Works.
