Congratulations to the 22 seniors from the MKA Class of 2022 who were inducted into the Cum Laude Society on Saturday, June 11. Established in 1906, the Cum Laude Society is modeled on the Phi Beta Kappa Collegiate National Honor Society and recognizes the scholastic achievement of secondary school students. It is the highest academic honor bestowed on members of the graduating class. The Cum Laude selection process relies both on a record of academic excellence and on nominations from the academic departments that reflect the character of students’ engagement with teaching and learning.

Speaking at the event, alumnus and Cum Laude Society member Kelsey (Bowers) Taylor ’10 shared her congratulations and related her thoughts and experiences from her days at MKA, through college, and now in her professional career to the gathered crowd of faculty and family members. She said to the inductees, “A lot has changed in the world in the last 4 years, including and most importantly, you. It hasn’t been easy, but through your perseverance and courage, you’ve come out stronger and ready to take on college and the world!” She ended with a challenge to the students and said, “Lean into discomfort and take risks. That’s how you’ll continue to always grow, and challenge yourself. Stay curious and be audacious, always asking questions…that’s what drives change and innovation.”

Faculty member Ben Goodrich closed the ceremony and shared what it takes to graduate with Cum Laude honors. He said, “The seniors being inducted today have shown a genuine interest in the pursuit of knowledge. …Your sense of personal satisfaction when you succeeded reflected a definition of success that goes far beyond the “grades” you earned.” In addition, he also suggested that students should seek challenges and make choices that will create opportunities for each of them to learn and grow. MKA is proud of this group of seniors whose hard work and dedication throughout their four years have earned them this prestigious recognition. 

The 2022 inductees are Milo Blake, Christina Bonarti, Michael Bronstein, Brennan Columbia-Walsh, Aiden Ehrenreich, Natalia Espinosa Dice, Martine Gulliver, Cinderella Hu, Trrusha Jariwalla, Dhruv Jetley, Joshua Kaufman, Michael Kazarian, Andrew Kim, Ethan Lieberman, Sofia Malaspina, Evelyn Maxwell, Connor Murphy, Olivia Rae Okun-Dubitsky, Lauren Schier, Sebastian So, Clara Turck, Noah Weinberg