The following seniors at The Williston Northampton School were inducted into the Cum Laude Society on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, at an assembly in the Phillips Stevens Chapel on campus:
- Jose “Tony” Alvarez of Chicago, IL
- Dongyang “Don” Cheng of Houston, TX
- Derek Dombrowski of Holyoke, MA
- Ross Ewing of Keene, NH
- Sarah Fay of South Hadley, MA
- Byung Hee “Brian” Ko of Republic of Korea
- Becca Macdonald of Topsfield, MA
- Kyung Jun “Charlie” Park of Republic of Korea
- Rae Underberg of Douglaston, NY
- Garrett Welson of Northampton, MA
Williston teacher Robert Blanchette P’92, ’94 was the event’s distinguished speaker. The president of Williston’s Cum Laude Society since 2001, Bob has been at Williston since 1972 in a variety of roles including French teacher, math teacher, summer school director, golf coach, Language Department head, and director of admission. In his address, Bob related stories about his first teaching and coaching job, which inspired his life-long dedication to educating and nurturing young people. Watch the video.
The event was webcast and viewers logged on from around the country and the world to watch. Students and their parents also attended a reception following the assembly at the home of Head of School Robert W. Hill III and Kathryn Hill P’15.
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 modeled Cum Laude after Phi Beta Kappa and in the years since its founding, Cum Laude has grown to 350 chapters around the world. 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.