On Tuesday, April 22, KO’s chapter of the Cum Laude Honor Society inducted 18 members of the graduating Class of 2025; the ceremony was part of a celebratory dinner held in Alumni Hall, where students were joined by parents, faculty, and guest speaker Taryn Braz ’14.
The program began with an introduction from Chapter President Peggy Clark and Chapter Secretary David Baker, who shared a few words about the purpose of the Cum Laude Society, the importance of the event, and the values demonstrated and upheld by its members: “ariké,” “diké,” and “timé,” or excellence, justice, and honor. Mr. Baker explained that these words represent not just the ideals of their rough translations, but extend to integrity, respect, and dignity. In addition to these qualities exhibited in and expected from Cum Laude members, the inductees were chosen for ranking in the top 20% of the 92 person senior class in regards to GPA.
Following the introductory speeches, Mrs. Clark read off the names of the Class of 2025 Inductees and Mr. Baker handed students their certificates and a pin of the Cum Laude insignia. The following 18 seniors were inducted this year: Stephen Bailey, Pindar Chen, Sophie Chen, Yale Chen, Sasha Dausey, Curran Dee, William Duvall, Christian Gingeleskie, Jenna Kanaan, Jack Krieble, Margaret Miller, Claire Palmer, Abigail Schiff, Julia Sohn, Daniela Tippner, Raine Wang, Ziwen Yin, and Zhengyan Zhang.
After the ceremony, the students lined up along the back of Alumni Hall and received a round of applause before moving outside for official photos. This marked the transition into celebration, as dinner was then served. After a delicious meal prepared by KO’s Sage Dining staff, Mr. Baker returned to the podium to introduce the guest speaker of the night, Taryn Braz ’14. During her time at KO, Ms. Braz contributed to the academic, athletic, and literary life of the school by participating in (and notably leading) the field hockey team, the softball team, and the KO News’s sports department.
Mr. Baker quoted speeches given by former Head softball Coach Catherine Schieffelin and former KO News Faculty Advisor Rob Kyff to show how Ms. Braz’s involvement impacted her peers and teammates. “ As a captain for the last two years, Taryn has taken the weight of the team on her shoulders in the circle, has helped coach other players, has rallied us when we’re down and has celebrated with us in our victories,” Mr. Baker quoted from a speech Ms. Schieffelin made during Ms. Braz’s senior season. He then shared how Ms. Braz chose a role on the KO News that allowed her to better mentor and lead younger writers on the staff. “ She was disciplined, highly skilled, hardworking, and above all, very calm in a position that required being on top of several sports during each season,” Mr. Baker quoted from Mr. Kyff.
When Ms. Braz was then invited to the podium, she shared with the audience how the connections, interdisciplinary interests, and habits of involvement fostered at KO led to the career she has found for herself. “The common denominator among all my favorite memories has been people that I met here,” she said. “ I have an amazing group of friends in Boston. We have a book club right now that we jokingly call ‘Our Harkness Discussion.’” Ms. Braz then continued on her journey down memory lane, recalling what it felt like for her to be a member of the KO community, an experience that strongly resonated with her audience. “ I don’t remember the tests that I failed or the wrong answers I gave in class,” she said. “I remember how it felt to show up to a place where I was surrounded by support and kindness.”
After sharing more reflections on her college experience and finding her way through the professional world, Ms. Braz left the inductees with a charge. “ I encourage you all to stay connected, to continue building and expanding this vibrant, thoughtful, brilliant community,” she said. “Find your people, but don’t limit yourself. Be open to inviting others in. Be willing to reimagine what community looks like. And if you don’t see a space that represents you, create one. You’ll be amazed at what can grow from that.”
At the end of the celebration, Head of the Upper School Lisa Loeb made some closing remarks that echoed Ms. Braz’s messages of recognizing the value of hard work, cherishing her time at KO, and the importance of thinking toward the future. Mrs. Loeb shared a story called “Le Laboureur et Ses Enfants,” a 17th-century French fable in which a farmer tells his children that a treasure lies within the family’s vineyard. The children dig hole upon hole, and though they find no jewels, the farm ends up with its largest crop yet. “ The moral of the story is simple but profound,” Mrs. Loeb said. “Work is a treasure. The richest rewards come not from chasing recognition, but from committing ourselves fully to the work, whatever that may be in the seasons ahead.”
This was a beautiful event with captivating speakers and plenty of excitement on all attendees’ parts. Congratulations to the inductees, and thank you to all who made this celebration possible!
