During a special assembly on Friday, January 16, Williston inducted 11 new members to its Cum Laude Society. Induction into the Cum Laude Society, a national honor society modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, is the highest academic award that the Williston Northampton School faculty can bestow.
The 11 inductees were: Devin Berry Brown ’26, Sarah Dripps ’26, Brandon Gou ’26, Alexander Landon ’26, Jaelyn Luo ’26, Katherine Martini ’26, Sarah Martini ’26, Junwon Park ’26, Henry Sanders ’26, Yahya Wilson ’26, and Zoe Simon ’26.
“Because we live in uncertain times, your effort matters,” Cum Laude Secretary Kim Polin said during the ceremony. “You remind us that learning remains a fundamentally progressive, optimistic and democratic enterprise. In you we witness what can be accomplished by a wonderful mixture of human potential and hard work. And we catch a glimpse of a brighter future. May you embrace the opportunity to improve an ever-changing world.”
Head of School Robert W. Hill III opened the ceremony, and noted to the inductees that their efforts in the classroom were worthy of the Cum Laude Society recognition.
“What distinguishes this group of scholars in front of me is not just range,” Hill said, “it’s their talent combined with a number of critically important attributes: focus and purposefulness; stamina; curiosity; desire; and even in the quietness among them, I bet there’s a pretty loud inner voice pushing them along. Attaining excellence as a student is hard work, and it can be hard to sustain, especially in the busy lives that you all share in common at Williston.”
The keynote speaker was Lori LeBas ’77, a Cum Laude Society member herself from her time at Williston. LeBas, now a an Executive Vice President for Platform Distribution Operations at Walt Disney Corporation, recounted in her speech the impact a Williston education had on her. LeBas spoke about wanting to attend Williston, but feeling initially overwhelmed when she arrived. But thanks to the guidance of teachers at the school, she found her place—and a launchpad to success. LeBas noted, in particular, the efforts of the late Rick Francis in getting her up to speed in Math, Doc Gow’s influence in the science classrooms, and her close relationship with Yves Couderc, her French and chemistry teacher.
“Why do I tell you all this?” LeBas quipped. “Because you are all explorers. Such is the community of which you are a part. Embrace that. And you are all leaders, challenged to do your best and guide others to do the same. ‘Be Yourself Here’ isn’t just a phrase. The self-confidence and courage I gained at Williston are cornerstones of who I am. The belief that I can do anything I put my mind to is a gift that keeps on giving.”
She ended her speech with a reminder to the Cum Laude Society members about “life rules”: “Be kind, value and respect people and their contributions, listen, tell the truth, communicate all the stuff, be clear on expectations. You already are doing these things. Don’t stop.”
Polin announced the honorees, while Cum Laude Society Vice President Susan Michalski handed them their medals, and Society President Beatrice Codey announced the charge that officially inducted them. After the ceremony, honorees and their families went to Mr. Hill’s house for a reception.
You can watch the ceremony in full here, and view pictures from the event on our Flickr page.