The Academic Awards for the 2016-17 class year took place under the tent on the Quad on May 27, 2017. Awards were given in six subjects: History and Global Studies, English, Arts, Science, Math, and Language. A link to photographs of the event will be posted soon. The awards were as follows:

 HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES

The A. L. HEPWORTH PRIZE, honoring a legendary history teacher, Dean of Students, and tennis coach, 1926-1973, is awarded to those students who have done excellent work in the United States History course:

• For improvement – ELIN BLOMQUIST
• For accomplishment – TIMOTHY “TIM” FAY

The HERVEY L. SMITH, JR., PRIZE, established by a member of the faculty from 1939 to 1946, is awarded annually for the highest achievement in the Modern European History course:

• ROBERT “ROBBY” HILL

The EDWARD M. LAWTON JR. PRIZES are awarded for superior work in elective courses in the History and Global Studies Department. Ed Lawton taught history from 1947 to 1983, and was the first to teach Asian History and Economics at Williston.

• World Civilization – JULIA FARNHAM
• European History – GRAHAM ALLARDYCE
• Soviet Union and Contemporary Russia – MINH NGUYEN
• International Relations – GABRIELLA “GABBY” MERCIER
• Women’s and Gender Studies – SARA RENKERT
• Hitler and Nazi Germany – AIDENNE ALDEN
• Immigration – CONNOR POWER
• African American History – DESTINY NWAFOR
• Contemporary World Issues – TYLER GREENWOOD
• Latin American History – CALEB COST
• AP Comparative Government and Politics – ALEXANDER “ALEX” FOSTER
• Economics – SIMA GANDEVIA
• AP Microeconomics – “VY” PHYONG NHAT TRAN
• Islam and the Middle East – EMMA MOREHOUSE-HULBERT
• Western Religions – SEUNGWOO “SIMON” KIM
• Introduction to Philosophy – NICHOLAS “NICK” HILL
• Eastern Religions – DONALD “DJ” POULIN
• Ethics and Society – JIAYING TANG

At this moment we would like to recognize the accomplishment of the AP US Government class by asking all of them to stand. These students earned 22nd place in the National Finals, the highest place ever earned by Williston. In addition, we want to note that three of the six units earned 18th, 13th and 12th in the first round. Finally, we ask that the Unit VI team of Sophie Carellas, Gerry Gao, Gabe Moon, Katie Most, and Erika Sasaki who earned 5th place in the first round and 16th overall, to come forward to present their National Finals trophy to Head of School, Robert Hill.

The EDWARD L. O’BRIEN 1916 PRIZE is awarded to a student who has achieved high standing in social studies courses and displayed an active interest in American Law and Politics:

• MADISON FULCHER-MELENDY

The DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD HISTORY PRIZE, given by an alumnus of the Class of 1955 in honor of the Nobel Laureate and Secretary General of the United Nations, 1953-1961, is awarded to that student who has written the best lengthy research paper on some phase of international relations or diplomatic history:

• JORDAN SANSONE

THE MARTIN TANANBAUM PRIZE, honoring the father of Minnie Tananbaum Lomeo, Class of 1966, is awarded to that student who has combined an appreciation for the study of religion, philosophy, or ethics with responsible social activities within and beyond the Williston community.

• NATALIE FONTENOT

The GEORGE AND FRANK CAREW DEBATING PRIZE was established by brothers, members of the class of 1882, and is awarded for excellence in debate. Originally the prize was given to the winners of the annual Adelphi vs. Gamma Sigma debate.

• JOSHUA “JOSH” CALIANOS

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ENGLISH

Prizes honoring ASAHEL LYMAN WILLISTON, Class of 1852, trustee, and nephew of the founder, are offered for excellence in English.

• Grade 9 – NATHANIEL “NAT” MARKEY
• Grade 10 – MADELEINE “MADDIE” ELSEA
• Grade 11 – MADISON FULCHER-MELENDY
• Grade 12 – TOMASZ PALUCHOWSKI

A prize honoring GILBERT F. KENNEDY, Class of 1891 and Williston trustee, for the best junior term paper.

• SOPHIA SCHAEFER

THE HAZELDINE PRIZE, in memory of Myrtle Elizabeth Hazeldine and her husband, Harry Newton Hazeldine class of 1921, is awarded each year to the student who has consistently improved the caliber of his or her written work both in English classes and for the student newspaper, The Willistonian.

• ELEANOR “ELLIE” WOLFE

THE SIDNEY NELSON MORSE PRIZES, in memory of a member of the Class of 1886 who taught at Williston from 1890 to 1928, are awarded each year to the two students recording the best work in senior English.

• RIDA KAREEM
• JORDAN SANSONE

THE BARD COLLEGE PRIZE FOR CRITICAL WRITING is offered to that student “who wrote the outstanding paper or essay during his or her senior year”.

• PARKER “BINA” SWEET

THE ANTONIO GIACOMINI, CLASS OF 1931 WRITING PRIZE is awarded to that freshman who has demonstrated consistent excellence in his or her written work over the course of the entire year:

• ABBY SELTZER

THE H. THOMAS WOOD, CLASS OF 1924 PRIZE is awarded “to the graduating student who has shown the most promise in the field of journalism during his or her undergraduate days at the school”: This year’s prize honors the students who have contributed the most to The Willistonian’s print and online publications.

• AVA MCELHONE YATES

Arete, class of 1985, established four prizes to be given for the student in each of the four grades who has, by record of achievement and faculty recommendation, made the most improvement in the study of English for the academic year.

• Grade 9 – MADHAV AMBADI
• Grade 10 – KANTARATT “PUNN” PHENTRAKUL
• Grade 11 – ELEANOR “ELLIE” SCOTT
• Grade 12 – CHRIS ESPINAL
  

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VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

The Visual and Performing Arts Department has awards in each of the disciplines.

FOR THE VISUAL ARTS:

DRAWING AWARD: For outstanding effort and excellence:

• ANNA “TRIXIE” WILLEMS

PAINTING AWARD: For inventiveness and chance-taking and for excellence in pursuing the visual language expressively:

• LANXI “NANCY” KANG

THREE DIMENSIONAL ART AWARD:

• SITAI CHEN

FOR PHOTOGRAPHY:

The ANTONIO GIACOMINI, CLASS OF 1931 PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE is awarded each year for excellent work in Photography:

• CHIA HUNG “MARK” WEI

FOR DANCE:

THE CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD is presented to that student who has demonstrated his or her commitment to excellence in the art of Dance Composition by engaging in collaborative projects, inviting personal growth, and presenting impactful dance pieces for the Williston stage.

This year the Choreography Award is shared by:

• DESTINY NWAFOR
• MAKENNA HAMBLEY

THE DANCE PERFORMANCE AWARD is presented to the student who has consistently demonstrated excellence, enthusiasm, and leadership in the Dance Program, both in the studio and on the stage. The recipient of this award demands of him or herself the highest level of physical and intellectual effort, attention to detail, and a dynamic quality of movement that inspires connection, communicates emotion, and delivers a powerful audience experience.

This year the Dance Performance Award is shared by:

• GABRIELLE “GABBY” RECORD
• HARUKA IKEMOTO

FOR MUSIC:

THE STELLA MAE HEPWORTH MEMORIAL PRIZE is awarded to a senior who contributes significantly to the arts, particularly music. Mrs. Hepworth taught piano to four decades of Williston students beginning in the 1920s.

• GABRIELLE “GABBY” RECORD

THE BARBARA K. ANSBACHER AWARD, established by Henry Ansbacher, Class of 1988, in memory of his mother, is awarded to a member of the graduating class who has maintained a high level of academic achievement and who has made a significant contribution to the music program. This year the award is shared by:

• IAN OSTBERG
• VASILIOS “WILL” FOKAS

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT PRIZE is given in honor of Richard Gregory, who taught music, theater, art history, and English at Williston from 1961 to 2004, in testimony to his life-long love for and involvement with music as a composer, performer and teacher and in recognition of his limitless contributions to musical life at Williston.

• YANA PYRYALINA

FOR THE THEATRE:

The PETER EDGERTON, CLASS OF 1974 MEMORIAL AWARD is given for outstanding service rendered to the Williston Theatre.

• NEHAMYA “NEHA” NASCIMENTO

THE WILLISTON THEATRE PRIZE: to a member of the Williston Theatre who has unselfishly given time and energy in the service of the Theatre.

• NOAH DEVOS

THE MARQUIS F. DICKINSON PRIZES, honoring a member of the Class of 1858, former Trustee, and son-in-law of Samuel and Emily Williston, are awarded for each year’s best male and female dramatic performances. Winning this year:

• MAKENNA HAMBLEY (PETER AND THE STAR CATCHER)

THE HOWARD G. BOARDMAN PRIZES honor the distinguished founder and director of The Williston Theatre for 40 years. “Boardy” also taught French and served as Alumni Secretary from 1921 to 1961.

To the male and female actors for OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES in supporting roles 2016-2017.

• HENNING FISCHEL (THE COMEDY OF ERRORS)
• ALARA AKISIK (PETER AND THE STAR CATCHER)

To that member of the Williston Theatre who has demonstrated the GREATEST IMPROVEMENT as an actor during the course of a single year.

• NICHOLAS “NICK” HILL

THE CHESTER MONROE MERRICK ‘65 MEMORIAL PRIZE: awarded to that student who has contributed in technical areas to the excellence of the Theatre at Williston:

• “FRANCOIS”-XAVIER KAEPPELIN

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SCIENCE

The PSYCHOLOGY AWARD is presented to that student who has shown the greatest promise in the field of psychology.

This year the prize goes to:

• JIAYING TANG

Prizes provided by the will of BENJAMIN W. B. BROWN, class of 1887, are awarded for the best essays written or achievement in the study of biological sciences.

• Biology – MADISON FULCHER-MELENDY
• Most Improved in Biology – BROOKE SMITH
• For excellence in AP Biology – SIMA GANDEVIA

BAUSCH AND LOMB HONORARY SCIENCE AWARD The University of Rochester and Bausch & Lomb, Inc. of Rochester, New York, offers an honorary Science award medal to a junior who has made the greatest progress in science during his secondary school years. The student receiving this award is eligible to compete for a science scholarship.

• HANZHANG “DERRICK” ZHAO

The Alumni Association of RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE offers a medal to an eleventh grader who has achieved excellence in mathematics and science.

[Note: If student applies and enrolls, the official Rensselaer Medal will be presented during honors convocation in the fall of the first year at Rensselaer.]

• WANGCHEN “SHIRLEY” ZHOU

THE YVES COUDERC PHYSICS PRIZES honor a teacher of science and music, 1961-1979.

• For greatest achievement in Physics – NATHANIEL “NAT” MARKEY
• For greatest improvement in Physics – JAMES WHITE
• For greatest achievement in Advanced Physics – TOMASZ PALUCHOWSKI
• For greatest improvement in Advanced Physics – JOSEPH “JO JO” CARBONE 10

The Class of 1891 offers two prizes for excellence in Chemistry, honoring PROFESSOR FRANK ADRIAN LEACH, who taught Chemistry and Biology and served as Director of Athletics, 1892-1902.

• Chemistry – ZEYU “STEVEN” WANG
• AP Chemistry – MOLLY ZAWACKI

The EARL NELSON JOHNSTON PRIZE, established by the Class of 1953, is awarded annually for the best improvement in Chemistry. Mr. Johnston taught science from 1918 to 1954, and at times conducted the choir and advised The Willistonian and The Log:

• EMMA GOULD
  

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MATHEMATICS

The Mathematical Association of America holds a series of contests each year to determine the strongest mathematical students in the country. The winners of these year-long competitions represent the United States in an International Olympiad. The first of these contests is called the American Mathematics Contest. The student who scores highest at each participating school is named the winner at that school. This prize was awarded earlier this year though we would like to have them stand and be recognized for this achievement. This year the winner is:

• ZEYU “STEVEN” WANG

The GEORGE PARSONS TIBBETS PRIZES, honoring a legendary teacher of mathematics from 1890 to 1926, are awarded each year for best work in:

• Calculus – “VY” PHUONG NHAT TRAN
• Multivariable Calculus – ZEYU “STEVEN” WANG
• Algebra 2 – CHANGHYUN “PETER” SEO
• Algebra 1 – MARY KATE O’BRIEN

A prize is awarded in memory of the late JUDGE DAVID KENNEDY, Class of 1892, for the best work in Geometry.

• RACHEL GOODMAN

The MELVIN JESSE COOK AWARD for achievement in Precalculus was established to honor Mr. Cook, Head of the Math Department, who retired in 1952 after 41 years, and was made an honorary member of that graduating class.

• ROBERT “ROBBY” HILL

The MATH DEPARTMENT AWARD for best work in Statistics:

• HANZHANG “DERRICK” ZHAO

The COMPUTER PROGRAMMING PRIZE for outstanding performance in the computer programming courses is awarded to:

• CHAIWAT “TEAM” SETWIPATANACHAI

 

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LANGUAGE

CHINESE

The following prizes are awarded to those students who have made the greatest achievement as students of Chinese during the academic year.

• Chinese I – TOSHIKI AYABE
• Chinese II – INSOO KANG
• Chinese III – ABBY SELTZER
• Chinese IV – SEUNGWOO “SIMON” KIM
• AP Chinese – “SABRINA” JIA XIN SHAO

FRENCH

THE HOWARD G. BOARDMAN PRIZES are for excellence in French. These prizes were established to honor Howard G. Boardman, head of the French Department for many years and Senior Master of the School until his retirement in 1961. They come from a fund established by Professor and Mrs. J. Henry Korson.

• French I – ZEYU “STEVEN” WANG
• French II – ANYA ROZARIO
• French III – CLAIRE HARRISON
• French V – TAYAH SOMMER
• AP French – ANNA WILINSKY

THE B. HOFF KNIGHT AWARD, in memory of a faculty member, 1967-1968, is awarded to that student who displays an active interest in the study of French and plans further study of the language.

• JORDAN SANSONE

THE HENRY E. DONAIS JR. FRENCH PRIZE is given “in memory of Henry E. Donais, Jr., Class of 1959 and former member of the French Department at Williston,” 1966-1969, for best fluency in French by a non-native speaker.

• ANNA WILINSKY

THE SUSAN CAROLINE FERGUSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP was established by the family and friends of Susan Ferguson of the Class of 1980. The award is made in alternate years to the member of the junior class who attains the highest grades in English or French. It is awarded this year for achievement in French.

• ANA WEED

LATIN

THE LINCOLN D. GRANNISS PRIZES established by the Class of 1953, are awarded for scholastic achievement and earnest, intelligent participation in the Latin courses. The class hopes that the prize, honoring a teacher of Latin from 1910 to 1953, will be respected, as “it is the living symbol of a man who has instilled in all a pleasure in being and learning.”

• Latin I – GRAHAM ALLARDYCE
• Latin II – NATHANIEL “NAT” MARKEY
• Latin III – ERIC ALBANESE
• Latin IV – ANABELLE FARNHAM
• AP Latin – JIN YOUNG “CHLOE” LEE

THE CHARLES A. BUFFUM PRIZE, honoring a teacher of Latin and Greek from 1878 to 1922, is for excellence in sight translation in Latin.

• DORA GORDON

SPANISH

THE DAVID H. THOMAS SPANISH PRIZES are awarded to those students who have made the greatest achievement as students of Spanish during the academic year. David H. Thomas was elected to the Williston faculty in 1929 and, after 42 years of service as teacher and department head, retired in 1971.

• Spanish I – ANNA MORAN
• Spanish II – RACHEL GOODMAN
• Spanish III – ROBERT “ROBBY” HILL
• Spanish V – MADISON FULCHER-MELENDY
• AP Spanish – SOMA MIZOBUCHI

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 ADDITIONAL AWARDS

THE FOLLOWING AWARDS ARE FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN TUTORING AND PUBLICATIONS:

TOMASZ PALUCHOWSKI will confer the following prize:

ARETE, Class of 1985, established a prize to honor that outstanding student tutor who has made a conscientious effort to help fellow students academically. This year the outstanding Arete tutor is:

• SOMA MIZOBUCHI

JANUS – description/explanation of award Ms. Pelliccia

• ANNA WILINSKY

THE LOG Ms. Garrity

Certificates:

I have the honor of being the Faculty Advisor to The Log, Williston’s Yearbook. Each year so many people work together to make this book come to life, but today we’d like to recognize our most dedicated editors.

First I’d like to thank a group of editors who put in the most hours this year and really had a huge impact on the design of the main book. Please come forward when I read your name and we’ll hold applause until the end.

• SAUL BLAIN
• GABRIELLA “GABBY” MERCIER
• EMMA REYNOLDS
• CAROLINE CHANNELL
• CATHERINE KING
• ELEANOR “ELLIE” WOLFE
• ATAHOMON “ATAH” OKAISABOR
• KAI MCCALLA
• WANGCHEN “SHIRLEY” ZHOU

Book:

Secondly, The Log is proud to present this year’s Book Award to our Editor in Chief, without whom we would not have a yearbook this year. Thank you for your exceptional dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work on the yearbook:

• EMMA REYNOLDS

The final group of prizes is voted on by the faculty for the top performance in each grade.

THERE ARE 3 NINTH GRADE PRIZES:

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL PRIZE is awarded to the 9th grader who best exemplifies the qualities of purpose, passion, and integrity:

• JULIA FARNHAM

THE YALE COLLEGE BOOK PRIZE– is awarded to a ninth grader who excels in scholarship and has made a significant contribution to the life of the school:

• ZEYU “STEVEN” WANG

THE BOWDOIN COLLEGE BOOK PRIZE is presented annually to the outstanding ninth grader in scholarship, citizenship, and character:

• NATHANIEL “NAT” MARKEY

THERE ARE 3 TENTH GRADE PRIZES:

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL PRIZE is awarded to the 10th grader who best exemplifies the qualities of purpose, passion and integrity:

• MADELEINE “MADDIE” ELSEA

THE SMITH COLLEGE BOOK AWARD is presented to a tenth grader who exhibits consistent all-around excellence:

• QIXUAN “GLEDE” WANG

THE WILLIAMS COLLEGE BOOK PRIZE is awarded by The Williams Alumni Association to the outstanding tenth grader in scholarship, citizenship, and character:

• ROBERT “ROBBY” HILL

THERE ARE 5 ELEVENTH GRADE PRIZES:

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL PRIZE is awarded to the 11th grader who best exemplifies the qualities of purpose, passion and integrity:

• SOPHIA “SOPHIE” CARELLAS

THE LINCOLN D. GRANNISS YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP is awarded to that member of Williston Northampton’s upcoming senior class who is qualified by virtue of academic and extracurricular excellence to be a strong candidate for admission to Yale University. Lincoln Granniss taught Latin at Williston, 1910-1953, and was a member of the Yale classes of 1906 and 1925.

• SOPHIA SCHAEFER

THE HOLY CROSS BOOK PRIZE is awarded to a student in the top ten percent of the eleventh grade who gives evidence of a strong concern for school and community:

• SABRINA LIEW

THE DARTMOUTH BOOK PRIZE is awarded to an eleventh grader who ably combines leadership potential with excellence in achievement both in the classroom and in non-academic activities:

• MADISON FULCHER-MELENDY

THE HARVARD BOOK PRIZE is awarded to the outstanding eleventh grader in scholarship, citizenship, and character.

• ANABELLE FARNHAM