St. Margaret’s Inducts 25 Into Prestigious Cum Laude Society

As an esteemed international recognition of academic excellence, St. Margaret’s inducted 13 seniors and 12 juniors into the prestigious Cum Laude Society in a celebratory ceremony during Upper School Chapel. These students joined 11 current seniors inducted in 2016 as juniors.

The Cum Laude Society, founded in 1906, is an international honors organization which identifies academic achievement through its motto:  Areté (excellence), Diké (justice), Timé (honor). Chapters are established only in schools of superior academic quality, and St. Margaret’s is one of just 382 chapters of the Cum Laude Society around the world and the only chapter in Orange County. More than 300 St. Margaret’s students have been inducted since 1986.

The ceremony was led by Upper School teacher and Cum Laude Chapter President Rocky Parker, Head of School Will Moseley and Upper School teacher and narrator Dallas Clemmons, all members of the Cum Laude Society.

Mr. Moseley introduced the ceremony’s keynote speaker, Piper Miller ’07, a Cum Laude member inducted during her time at St. Margaret’s who graduated from Stanford University and now works as a senior account manager for LinkedIn in San Francisco.

Ms. Miller spoke of the three main ideals she learned at St. Margaret’s that will carry her through life: study hard, dream big dreams and give back to others.

“Those are lessons I take with me throughout my life, and I know will be incredibly useful in my future to come,” she said.

In addition to the induction ceremony, Mr. Parker announced that 2016 inductee and senior Luke Gitter was awarded a $500 grant for winning the District VIII competition of the Cum Laude Society Paper, a program that awards grants for those who's work “gives evidence of superior scholarship and original thought.” The paper was selected over all submissions in District VIII, which represents 43 chapters across eight states including schools like Harvard-Westlake, Polytechnic School, Cate School and Bishop’s School.

Mr. Parker also recognized Upper School science teacher John Bennett, who was inducted into the Cum Laude Society as a high school junior more than 50 years ago and is retiring at the end of this school year.

The Cum Laude Society limits membership to 20 percent of a school’s senior class, with only 10 percent eligible for induction as juniors. In addition to academic achievement, elected students must demonstrate good character, honor and integrity in all aspects of student life.

Congratulations to the newest St. Margaret’s Cum Laude Society Inductees!

Natalie Bosu

Sydney Brinker

Emma Butler

Nicolas Gitter

Anika Grover

Casey Healy

Christian Jacobs

Lew Jacobs

Tyler Jones

Rebekah Olsen

Kate Ramm

Michael Rubenacker

James Swanson

 

Colin Ballantyne

Clayton Chalmers

Skyler Cordrey

Tarika Gujral

Megan Huff

Justin Minn

Hye Won Na

Anthony Ryan

Andrew Shin

Emily Suh

Bryant Villamil

Makaela Weeda

 

11 current seniors who were inducted into the Cum Laude Society in 2016 as juniors:

Tyler Ashman

Luke Gitter

Thomas Kwa

Rose McCarver

Emma Paddon

Kate Parks

Jana Phillips

William Rosenthal

Charles Smith

Emily Van Duinen

Ryan Wilson