Students Honored in Winter 2025 Cum Laude Ceremony

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Members of the Williston Northampton community gathered on Friday, January 10, to celebrate 13 students being inducted to the school’s Cum Laude Society. The ceremony was the first of two Williston Northampton will host this academic year, with the second coming right before Commencement in May.

The Cum Laude Society recognizes academic achievement by students in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence (Areté), justice (Diké), and honor (Timé). Founded in 1906, the society is modeled after Phi Beta Kappa. Williston Academy became a member of the society in 1921, Northampton School for Girls received its charter in 1951, and in 1971 a new charter was created for the Williston Northampton School.

The inductees at the assembly were: Isabel Baxter-Paris ’25, Jack Berrien ’25, Yanwan Cao ’25, Aster Carlstrom ’25, Carter Cleary ’25, Sebastian Enriquez ’25, Joaquin James ’25, Dionysus Lively ’25, Alyssa Matricciani ’25, Daniel McBride ’25, Jiwon Park ’25, Ellie Parsons ’25, and Maya Zesiger ’25.

“The inductees this morning represent the best of what we aspire to in our classrooms,” Head of School Robert W. Hill III said, “as well as in solitary effort that take place when nobody’s watching.”

Sarah Fay ’11, who was inducted to the Cum Laude Society herself as a student, was on hand to give an address. Looking back at her time at the school, Fay laid out how the seeds she watered in Easthampton have bloomed throughout her life.

“We are all growing gardens. We have all planted seeds and will continue to plant more,” Fay said. “What’s most important, though, is that we all get to choose which seeds we water, feed, and nurture. We get to pick what grows in the garden.

“What types of things am I growing my garden these days? What are the parts of my identity that I find myself nurturing the most? I am a learner. I am a teacher. I am engineer. And I am passionate about sports and the value they bring to life. Again, many of the seeds of these identities, were planted here at Williston, sometimes in specific defining moments and sometimes more gradually through quiet consistency.”

For the induction itself, Cum Laude President Beatrice Cody presented students with certificates marking their accomplishment, and Secretary Thomas Johnson presented students with medals. At the conclusion of the ceremony, inductees and their families went to the Head of School’s house for a reception to further celebrate their achievement.

See a full photo gallery from the event on our Flickr page. Watch the ceremony in full on our YouTube page.