Special Commencement Issue • May 24, 2019
Congratulations, Class of 2019! Berkshire bids a fond farewell to its 112th graduating class. Peter Kinne P’08, longtime Berkshire faculty member, delivers commencement address.
The Graduation Prizes Alanna V.A. Smith of East Orange, New Jersey: The Berkshire Cup, the highest distinction Berkshire confers on one of its graduating seniors. It is given each year to the student who is considered by the faculty to have made the greatest contribution to the success of the school year. Harley A. Frechette of North Ferrisburgh, Vermont: The Head of School Prize, awarded to the student whose particular contribution to Berkshire has distinguished the school year in a special way and whose leadership led others and influenced many. Elias E. Sienkiewicz of Wilton, New Hampshire: The Peter Lance Anderson Award, decided by the membership of the Cum Laude Society and given to the student who best exemplifies the qualities of personal excellence, integrity, and academic scholarship.
Nan (Sherry) Yang of Shanghai, China: The Robert A. Powers Award, which recognizes a sixth former who has demonstrated personal growth, loyalty to the school, and dependability of performance which has distinguished his or her career at Berkshire. Rayshawn L. Boswell of Rochester, New York: The Morris Trophy, awarded to the sixthform male student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics. Elizabeth F. Harrington of Bedford, New York: The Herger Trophy, awarded to the sixthform female student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics. Peter B. Dunbar of Newport, Rhode Island: The Anna S. Barrasch Prize, awarded for unselfish interest in people and loyalty to Berkshire.
Martin M. Dimo of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: The Calvin Fentress Citizenship Award, given for exemplary personal performance, loyalty to Berkshire, and outstanding citizenship in the school community. Gohta Aihara of Tokyo, Japan: The Princeton Cup, the top sixth-form academic prize awarded for diligence in studies and success in co-curricular activities. Tess Adams: The Aliis Non Sibi Award. Selected by members of the graduating class, the recipient of this award follows the motto “for others, not themselves.” It recognizes a member of the faculty who, through a love of teaching and abiding commitment to enriching the lives of students, embodies the ideals and spirit of an engaged and treasured member of both the faculty and, equally important, the Berkshire community.
Prize Night Awards and Prizes Paul Banevicius wins top teaching award; Giang Le and Emmanuel Roldan named head prefects; Ashanti Bruce wins Dean Trophy; Cum Laude Society inducts four
THE CUM LAUDE SOCIETY Induction of new members Class of 2020: Charlotte C. Billingsley, Aimi Sekiguchi, Huan De (Darran) Shen, Meixiao (Michelle) Wang
BLACK ROCK SCHOLARS Class of 2019: Haines S. Corrigan, Michael T. Fulling, Martine A. Lavelle, Ruby P. Merritt, James H. Schoudel
The Award for Excellence in Fourth-Form Modern Language: Abigail R. Hayes and Alfonso Maculan The Stanley Prize for Excellence in French: Elias E. Sienkiewicz The W. Duncan MacMillan Prize for Excellence in Latin: Tigerlily J. Hillenbrand-Arlt The Jane Usher Dyer Prize for Excellence in Latin: Aichen Yao The Prize for Excellence in Spanish: Camille M. Kittredge
ACADEMIC PRIZES
The W. Ross Hawkins Prize for Excellence in Modern World History: Megan J. Mokriski
The Thomas L. Chaffee Award for Excellence in Third-Form English: Alice Fisher
The C. Twiggs Myers Prize for Excellence in U.S. History: Meixiao (Michelle) Wang
The Lance Turner Third-Form Essay Prize: Brayton E. Howard
The William F. Gulotta Award for Excellence in Government: Elias E. Sienkiewicz
The Joan Williams Award for Excellence in Fourth-Form English: Megan J. Mokriski The Brown University Book Award: Aimi Sekiguchi The Tertius Van Dyke Prize for Excellence in Sixth-Form English: Elias E. Sienkiewicz The Gerald B. O’Connor ’46 Prize in Journalism: Elias E. Sienkiewicz The Prize for Excellence in Fiction: Maxwell R. Beadling The Arthur C. Chase Poetry Prize: Anna M. Hauser The William P. Matthews ’61 Prize for Creative Writing: Sydney K. Wray The Richard P. Unsworth Prize for Excellence in Chinese: Shun Iwata
The Rensselaer Medal for Distinction in Mathematics and Science: Aimi Sekiguchi The James A.D. Geier ’44C Prize for Excellence in Computer Science: Daniel Y. Tian The Award for Excellence in FourthForm Science: Wilson Zheng The Dwight C. Baum ’32 Award for Excellence in Chemistry: Kevin M. Rhee The Richard T. Beebe Prize for Excellence in Physics: Louise I.A. Rosenblad The Chester W. Rice Science Award: Daniel Y. Tian The William Stoddard, Jr. ’65 Memorial Prize: Gohta Aihara The Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award: Celia M. Block The Prize for Excellence in Stagecraft: Minseo (Michelle) Rhee
The R. Bruce Morison ’61 Prize for Current Events and Political Science: William B.C. Warlick
The Ray Weston Memorial Prize in Theater Arts: Emily Liu and Robert L. Renneker
The Bosley Memorial Prize for Excellence in History: Madeleine G. Devost
The Berkshire Dramatics Cup: Virginia B. Brown
The Leslie W. Clifford Prize for Excellence in Third-Form Mathematics: Sanjna Srinivasan and Tianhao (Leo) Yang The Prize for Excellence in Fourth-Form Mathematics: Wilson Zheng The Berridge Prize for Excellence in Fifth-Form Mathematics: Shun Iwata The David Campbell Eipper Cup for Excellence in Sixth-Form Mathematics: Nan (Sherry) Yang and Aichen Yao
The Ernest L. Wakefield Prize for Excellence in Music: Martin M. Dimo and Nan (Sherry) Yang The Terry Pines Memorial Prize for Dance: Anya V. Singh The Margaret V. Beattie Memorial Prize for Excellence in Art: Ruby P. Merritt The Segalla Memorial Art Award for Excellence in Studio Art: Alexander B. Barnosky The Allen Buck Prize for Excellence in Photography: Benjamin H. Goldthwaite
The Robert Leo Theriault Prize for Creativity and Excellence in Ceramics: Jackson V. Chapin The Rhode Island School of Design Book Prize: Emma K. Dreher The John E. Rovensky Memorial Prize for Excellence in Independent Study: Alexander T. Gibian
PRIZES AND AWARDS The Arthur C. and Alice Ann Chase Commendation Awards: Charlotte R. Turner, third form; John W. Fiore, fourth form; William B.C. Warlick, fifth form; Daniel A.O. Akomolafe, sixth form The John F. Godman Award: Ugochukwu P. Achara and Fatima A. Romano Escamilla The Spirit of Berkshire Award: James H. Schoudel
The Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking: Gohta Aihara
The Williams College Book Award: Huan De (Darran) Shen
The David Shumway Barrett ’59 Memorial Prize for Perseverance: Emma L. Birmingham and Briggs D. Gammill
The Dartmouth College Book Award: Meixiao (Michelle) Wang
The St. Lawrence University Book Award: Claire A. Borchers
The Harvard Club Prize Book: Aimi Sekiguchi The Frederic S. Dean Trophy: Ashanti S. Bruce
The Lawrence Thomas Piatelli Prize: Madeline B. McDonough FIFTH FORM PRIZES The Marguerite L. Kreh Memorial Award: Virginia B. Brown The James Stone Memorial Award: Robert L. Renneker The Jeannette B. Cooper Prize Book: Madisyn A. Gomez The William Brooks Nolan Memorial Award: Briggs D. Gammill
The Chaplain’s Cup: Sophie K. Reed
The Robert Davis Allen Prize: Katherine R. Aiello
The Elaine Mansell Award: Camille M. Kittredge
The Smith College Book Award: Emily Liu
Head Prefects: Giang H. Le and Emmanuel F. Roldan
Seaver Buck Faculty Award: Paul R. Banevicius
For school. For life.
Where You’ll Find Them This Fall Ugochukwu Achara Elikem Adika John Aiello Gohta Aihara Daniel Akomolafe Carter Allen Bianca Arredondo Alexander Barnosky Nicholas Berghold Elizabeth Bernstein William Blomquist Anne Marie Boardman Samuel Bodman Rayshawn Boswell Cavan Brady Lazerrick Braxton Andrew Buckley Kenneth Burgess Lillian Caan Liam Carroll Halle Chandler Lila Childs Elias Cohen Haines Corrigan Michael Derrig Madeleine Devost Karan Dhiman Martin Dimo Emma Dreher Elizabeth Driscoll Peter Dunbar Hussien El Desouky Katherine Erazo Catherine Farr Harley Frechette Michael Fulling Patrick Fulling Robert Gallop Brooks Gammill Katherine Graham Michael Grise Kegan Grogean Elizabeth Harrington MacKenzie Hatch Caroline Hogan Robert Hoogkamp Thomas Horak Kade Iervolino Jacob Iwowo Sinclair Jelleme Elise Johnston Kevin Kelly Henry Kessler Shane Killian Camille Kittredge Grant Kneisel Sanghyun Ko Deng Kur Jake Lachance Martine Lavelle Avalon Lebenthal Shannon Lee
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