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2017 Upper School Awards
On Tuesday, May 16, The Upper School Awards Assembly was held in the Seldin Performing Arts Center. This annual event recognized outstanding student contributions to the St. Luke’s Upper School community during the 2016-2017 school year.
Head of Upper School Liz Perry began the assembly with Departmental Distinctions.
ART:The award of Distinction in Art is given to students who possess a dynamic passion, talent and aptitude for imagining and creating art. These art students consistently go beyond criteria for any given project, creating thoughtful artworks that demonstrate mastery of principles of art and technical skill.
Clare Armstrong
Sam Boston
Caitlyn Conetta
Abigail O'Meara
Michael Pizzani
Emma Scanlan
Alexandra Schwartz
Jason Schwartz
Lily Williams (Art History)
Mary Zech
designLab: Students earning Distinction in designLab have demonstrated strong creative problem solving abilities through the application of computer science, engineering, or both. They have learned to solve comprehensive problems, both individually and collaboratively, and through the process have shown that they can apply abstraction and computational thinking to real world design challenges.
Ajit Akole
Hannah Amendola
Dominic DeMarco
Hannah Mathew
Bilal Memon
Clara Pakman
Dennis Polyakov
Evan Ruschil
Ian Smith
Jamie Ullman
Gracie Zaro
ENGLISH: Students receiving Distinction in English must first and foremost have a keen interest in literature—both reading it and discussing it. They also craft essays that are insightful, original and erudite.
Kristen Beaumonte
Haley Bloch
Charlie Hobbs
Bilal Memon
Ruth Mercedes
Ryan Murphy
Clara Pakman
Georgia Rosenberg
Jamie Ullman
Leo Van Munching
Alexa Vogel
Chris Walsh
Carolina Warneryd
Amelia Wyckoff
Gracie Zaro
HISTORY: The History Department recognizes scholars for their pursuit of genuine understanding about historical events, for their self-discipline in the pursuit of knowledge, for the clarity and insight of their written work, and for their consistent contributions towards the stated goals of their classes.
Kristen Beaumonte
Anna Camp
Juliette Finley
Colette Juran
Ashley Kelley
Elizabeth Laub
Bilal Memon
Ryan Murphy
Georgia Rosenberg
Emma Scanlan
Alexa Vogel
Chris Walsh
Amelie Warneryd
Carolina Warneryd
Amelia Wyckoff
Gracie Zaro
MATHEMATICS: The award of Distinction in Mathematics is given to students who have great mathematical ability and aptitude, as well as an intellectual curiosity about the subject. These students are independent thinkers who seek clarity and sound understanding in a mathematical discipline they are studying this year, showing persistence and follow-through in their distinctive desire for understanding and passion to learn.
Ajit Akole
Kristen Beaumonte
Dominic DeMarco
Mark Forese
Chloe Kekedjian
Kenny Lam
Luke Martocchio
Hannah Matthew
Bilal Memon
Mitchell Mount
Kaitlin Necakov
Georgia Rosenberg
Connor Rosow
Emma Scanlan
Emma Tregellas
Jamie Ullman
Kate Vaske
Chris Walsh
Ajit Akole
Kristen Beaumonte
Dominic DeMarco
Mark Forese
Chloe Kekedjian
Kenny Lam
Luke Martocchio
Hannah Matthew
Bilal Memon
Mitchell Mount
Kaitlin Necakov
Georgia Rosenberg
Connor Rosow
Emma Scanlan
Emma Tregellas
Jamie Ullman
Kate Vaske
Chris Walsh
MUSIC: This award is given in recognition of singular merit, ability, and achievement of outstanding contributions to the success of the St. Luke’s Band and Choir programs and for unusual degrees of loyalty, cooperation and high qualities of conduct and a commitment to excellence which includes a giving of their time and talents for the good of the St. Luke’s music program.
Ajit Akole
Quentin Andersen
Sarah Bryant
Michael Crispi
Dominic DeMarco
Gabrielle Dore
Andrew Epprecht
Jacqui Holzberger
Ben Jackson
Henry Jodka
Ben Joseph
Cierra Kitt
Andrew Kurth
Mitchell Mount
Maddie Sead
Zoe Smith
Kate Stamoulis
Amelia Wyckoff
SCIENCE: The award of Distinction in Science is given to students who display significant interest and achievement in the science disciplines. These students engage with the material in intellectual and creative ways indicating a desire to truly understand the world around them.
Max Mitchell
Georgia Rosenberg
Jamie Ulman
Amelie Warneryd
Ajit Akole
Kenny Lam
Mitchell Mount
C.J. Woodberry
Chloe Kekedjian
Bilal Memon
Gabrielle Mitchell
Isabelle Stone
Mark Forese
Jake Lustig
Luke Martocchio
Alexa Vogel
THEATRE ARTS: The award for excellence in Acting is given to talented actors who demonstrate an ability and awareness to empathize with characters they portray and take artistic risks. They command the stage, exude leadership behind the scenes, and give their best every time.
Grace Cashman (Advanced Acting)
The award for excellence in Stagecraft is given to outstanding theater students who have a keen ability in set, lighting, costume, and sound design for the stage. These designers and technicians are conceptual thinkers, extreme problem solvers, and generous collaborators.
Connor Rosow (Stagecraft)
WORLD LANGUAGE: A student earning departmental distinction in world languages is profoundly passionate about language and culture. Such students actively seek an in-depth, detailed, and multi-faceted understanding of their language of study.
Kayleigh Bowler
Dominic Demarco
Elizabeth Laub
Paul Mercedes
Ryan Murphy
Ashley Parkinson
Brian Peck
Adiah Price-Tucker
Georgia Rosenberg
Emma Scanlan
Jackson Selvala
Kate Vaske
Chris Walsh
Amelie Warneryd
Carolina Warneryd
Claire Wilson
Amelia Wyckoff
Klein Leadership Award: The purpose of the Emerging Leader Award is to recognize a St. Luke’s student of good character in the freshman class who possesses leadership potential. This award recipient will receive a scholarship to attend an Outward Bound program this summer.
Tasia Courts
11th Class Deans, Susan Doran and Alec Lebris presented the Junior College Book Awards.
The Brown University Book Award honors the junior who best combines academic excellence with clarity in written and spoken expression.
Bilal Memon
The Cornell Book Award is given to juniors who show an awareness of cultural diversity and is an excellent student, good citizen and innovative thinker.
Shaka Moales
Thaise Sudano
The Dartmouth Book Award is given to a student who ranks the top 10% of the junior class; has strong character; has made a positive impact on the life of the school; and excels in at least one non-academic area.
Chloe Kekedjian
The Harvard Book Prize is given to a student who displays excellence in scholarship and high character, in addition to achievement in other fields.
Ajit Akole
The Holy Cross Book Prize is given to a student who exemplifies outstanding scholarship, concern for others, and positive commitment to both school and community.
Adiah Price-Tucker
The Kalamazoo College Book Award is given to a junior whose actions demonstrate a commitment to social justice and human rights in the St. Luke’s community and beyond.
Lucia Wiggers
St. Lawrence Book Award recognizes a junior who has demonstrated academic success and been identified as someone who displays a significant commitment to community service, both at the school and in the local community.
Elizabeth Laub
The University of Virginia Jefferson Award is given to a well-rounded juniors who represent the Jeffersonian ideals of scholarship, leadership, and citizenship.
Jack Halsey
Alexandra Truwit
The Vassar College Book Award is designated to a junior who has maintained high academic achievement and, in particular, has demonstrated excellence in the humanities.
Kristen Beaumonte
The Williams College Book Award is given to juniors who have demonstrated intellectual leadership and has made a significant contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.
Dominic DeMarco
Amelia Wyckoff
Head of Upper School Liz Perry presented the Nobbe and the Scholars Awards.
Nobbe Award: Colette Juran
The Nobbe Award, which is given to the Upper School student who is most instrumental in forwarding journalism at St. Luke’s School. Mr. George Nobbe during his years here in the 1940s was an enthusiastic staff member of the newspaper. He then went on to Harvard and Columbia, and had a long and noteworthy career as an editor and conservation journalist. After his death in 2000 this Award was established in his honor.
The Nobbe Award, which is given to the Upper School student who is most instrumental in forwarding journalism at St. Luke’s School. Mr. George Nobbe during his years here in the 1940s was an enthusiastic staff member of the newspaper. He then went on to Harvard and Columbia, and had a long and noteworthy career as an editor and conservation journalist. After his death in 2000 this Award was established in his honor.
St. Luke’s Senior Scholars who presented on STEM, Global and Classical topics in April were recognized.
2017 Senior Scholars
Kelly Adams, STEM Scholar:
Psychological Cause and Effect: The Correlation Between Self Esteem and Risk of Panic Attacks
Natalie Bachman, Global Scholar:
A Catching Problem: Infectious Disease Prevention and Control in West Africa
David Ball, Global Scholar:
The Future of Energy: The Economic and Environmental Potential of Solar Power
Brittany Barton, STEM Scholar:
Using Pixy Camera for Robotic Object Recognition
Porter Bowman, Global Scholar:
Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Renewed Push for Scottish Independence in a Post-Brexit Europe
Gabriella Finley, STEM Scholar:
Psychological Cause and Effect: The Correlation Between Self Esteem and Risk of Panic Attacks
Mark Forese, Classical Scholar:
The Classical Crusade: A Quest for the Legend of the Holy Grail
Jack Hobbs, Global Scholar:
Hollywood v. Hengdian: The Closing Cinematic Schism between Occident and Orient
Colette Juran, STEM Scholar:
Investigating Galaxy Formation Throughout the Evolution of the Universe
Alexa Karp, STEM Scholar:
Optimizing Spherification Through Chemical Tuning
Luke Martocchio, STEM Scholar:
Machine Learning: Creating a Self-Programmed Board Game Expert
Paul Mercedes, Classical Scholar:
From Temples to Camps: Roman Military Medicine
Ryan Murphy, Global Scholar:
From JV to Jihad's MVP: An Analysis of the Rise, Ideology, and Future of the Islamic State
Georgia Nelson, Classical Scholar:
Institutionalized Sexism in Roman Rhetoric
Ella Pepper, Global Scholar:
Who's Watching Whom: The International Effects of Hacking and Data Breaches Post 9/11
Zoe Smith, Global Scholar:
Acting as a Cure: Therapeutic Theatre for Victims of Trauma and War
Ian Smith, STEM Scholar:
Discovering Vulnerabilities in Deeper Software Logic with a Hybrid Approach
Jared Soltys, STEM Scholar:
Determining and Controlling Genetic Luminescence via CRIPSR/Cas9
Alexa Vogel, Global Scholar:
Skewing our View: How the Lense of Social Media Changes our Internal Field of Vision
Lily Williams, Classical Scholar:
An Examination of Damnatio Memoriae in the Roman Empire
Paul Woodberry, Global Scholar:
China: The Transition from Coal to Renewable Energy
Cum Laude
St. Luke’s School student inductees into the Cum Laude Society are those seniors whose coursework is at the highest and most rigorous levels; who have shown high levels of achievement in their studies; and whose participation in class reflects enthusiasm for greater depths of learning.
Kelly Adams
Porter Bowman
Caitlyn Conetta
Gabriella Finley
Mark Forese
Charlie Hobbs
Colette Juran
Jake Lustig
Luke Martocchio
Ryan Murphy
Ian Smith
Emma Tregellas
Paul Woodberry
Gracie Zaro
Head of School Mark Davis presented the remaining awards.
Salutatorian: Luke Martocchio
Valedictorian: Gracie Zaro
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Quentin Andersen
The Community Service Award recognizes a senior whose service to the community outside of St. Luke’s School has been extraordinary. Through volunteer work, the student has developed a passion, made a significant impact on the organization served and lived out the St. Luke’s motto: Enter to learn, go forth to serve.
WHITCOMB AWARD: Gabrielle Dore and Walter Whyte
The Richard M. Whitcomb Character Award recognizes a senior who shows an enduring commitment to qualities associated with good character such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The recipient best represents the values and goals espoused by Headmaster Emeritus Richard Whitcomb.
DAN IRELAND AWARD: Grace Cashman and Mark Forese
The Daniel Q. Ireland Award recognizes a senior whose unusually strong commitment and effort have resulted in achievements that have brought pride to the school.
VON FABRICE AWARD: Jack Hobbs
The William K. VonFabrice Award recognizes a senior, in memory of a co-founder of St. Luke’s, who placed great emphasis on friendship and concern for others. The recipient has demonstrated these qualities throughout his or her St. Luke’s Career, being a loyal friend to both classmates and the school.
PEDRICK AWARD: Ryan Murphy
The Richard J Pedrick Award recognizes a senior who exemplifies those qualities that best characterized Dick Pedrick--leadership, dedication, intelligence, athletic participation, good sportsmanship and love for his or her fellow human being.
SELDIN AWARD: Zoe Smith
The Seldin Family Performing Arts Award recognizes a senior who has demonstrated an ongoing passion for the performing arts. The recipient has shown extraordinary dedication to the performing arts at St. Luke’s School, as exemplified by the Seldin Family, and achieved a level of excellence that makes her a true star.
WIEGMAN AWARD: Peter Leventhal and Jake Lustig
The Karen E. Wiegman Award recognizes a senior who has shown the most growth over his or her years at St. Luke’s School. This growth is marked by social connection, academic discovery, and personal maturation.
SERVICE AWARD: Mary Zech
The Service Award recognizes a senior whose service to the school or community clearly surpasses what is expected. The recipient is the senior class exemplar of the school’s motto, “Enter to learn, go forth to serve.”
BE KIND AWARD: Hunter Libman
Created in memory of Bill Mahoney, St. Luke’s School trustee, St. Luke’s School parent, and friend to all, this award is given to a graduating senior who has actively practiced kindness and radiates good cheer.
SENIOR BOWL: Luke Martocchio
The Senior Bowl recognizes a Senior who, in the opinion of the faculty, has consistently received significant academic honors during his St. Luke’s career, while participating enthusiastically in a variety of school activities.
SENIOR LOYALTY CUP: Porter Bowman
The Senior Loyalty Cup recognizes a Senior whose contributions and dedication to St. Luke’s have distinguished him or her as an outstanding leader.
HEADMASTER’S AWARD: Sydney Lowery and Juan Velez
The Headmaster’s Award recognizes two graduating students who have made unique contributions to St. Luke’s in ways that bring great credit to the school.
The Upper School Awards Ceremony concluded with a special visit by U.S. Military Academy Class of 1991, West Point Admissions and Field Force Representative MyLinh B. Shattan who formally presented Ryan Murphy’s Certificate of Appointment to West Point. (Her second year in a row to visit St. Luke’s. Last year she presented Emma Powless ‘16 her Certificate of Appointment.) She was followed by honors graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point David Kim who presented Whit Kim his certificate for the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
