Seniors honored at annual awards assembly

Greenhills students gathered with their parents, family members and teachers on the last day of classes June 5 for the annual Senior Awards Assembly in the Campbell Center.

The ceremony marks the official kickoff of graduation season at Greenhills—a short season that culminates in Sunday’s commencement exercises, set for 3 p.m at Towsley Field.

The following awards were presented Thursday:

Class Valedictorian: Francesca Lupia

Awarded to the student with the distinction of ranking number one in the class.

The Trustees Award: Elisia Ceballo-Countryman

This award is presented to a senior who has earned distinction in several areas of school life and in the process has demonstrated unusual strength of character, moral leadership, and loyalty to the school.

The Edward M. Read Award: Samuel June

This award is presented, in honor of the first Greenhills Head of School, to the senior who in her or his career at Greenhills has made the greatest progress and who thereby represents the very purpose of the school.

The J. Anthony Paulus Award: Francesca Lupia, Tristan Lopus

This award is presented to two seniors, one female and one male, each of whom has exemplified and has led others to exemplify those attributes so magnificently reflective of the spirit of Greenhills: a commitment to excellence in all that he/she undertakes; a mindfulness of the significance of living in a community that upholds high values, morals and ethics, and therefore of one’s personal obligation to contribute to one’s community, to enrich it, and when necessary, to defend it; a willingness to take strong stands in support of what is right, even, or especially, when taking those stands can be expected to result in the need to endure the criticism of those who disagree.

The Head of School Award: Allison Chatas, Andrew Diehl, Delaney Feldeisen, Sarah Gargaro, Kelsey Snyder, Juliano Stewart

This award is presented to seniors, who, with a minimum of outside direction, have been the greatest assistance to, and have shown exceptional competence during the senior year and consistent support of, Greenhills School.

Senior Athlete of the Year Award: Elisia Ceballo-Countryman, Andrew Gitlin

These award winners are nominated by their varsity coaches and then selected by the entire Greenhills coaching staff. The criteria for this senior award include excellent athletic ability as well as outstanding performances in specific sports. Special weight is given to multiple-sport athletes, athletes who have competed throughout their high school careers for Greenhills, and student-athletes who reflect the values of Greenhills School.

Caroline F. Read Writing Award: Maggie McMillin

This award was established by the trustees in 1975 to honor the wife of the founding headmaster. Caroline F. Read taught reading and study skills at Greenhills for a number of years and was the first faculty advisor for the school’s literary magazine. The award is given each year to a senior who exhibits excellence in the practice of literary or other composition and shows potential for the occupation of a writer. The award is based on manuscripts submitted by seniors who choose to enter the competition. This year the manuscripts for the Caroline F. Read Award were judged by those who were also judging entries for the McDowell Prizes in Creative Writing. The Caroline F. Read Award competition, however, is a separate contest, open only to seniors.

Arleen Schwartz Mathematics Scholarship: Sydney Bartell

Each year the Greenhills Mathematics Department awards a senior female student the Arleen Schwartz Excellence in Mathematics Scholarship. In honor of Mrs. Schwartz and in keeping with her goals of rewarding, encouraging, and promoting young women in their study of mathematics, the department makes this selection primarily on the basis of achievement in our math curriculum and interest in future study and use of mathematics. This award is accompanied by a college scholarship.

Florence H. Leslie Math Prize: Andrew Gitlin

Each year the Greenhills Mathematics Department honors a senior as our Florence H. Leslie Outstanding Mathematics Student. The department makes this selection on the basis of achievement in our math curriculum, performance of mathematics outside of Greenhills (such as competitions, summer institutes, internships, and university courses), and service by sharing this talent within our community.

Senior Arts Award: Zoe Chrissos, Sena Duran, Emma Rickman, Juliano Stewart
This award, established in 2005, recognizes those seniors who have demonstrated consistent excellence in the arts program at Greenhills School. Criteria for the award include talent and artistry, participation in Greenhills arts programs, leadership and service, particularly in the senior year, and artistic growth. The Senior Arts Awards are presented to up to five seniors each year as determined by the arts faculty. Visual Arts recipients will have one of their works entered into the permanent art collection at Greenhills.

Jim Posante Award: Tristan Lopus

The Jim Posante Award is given in memory of Jim Posante, who for 32 years brought a passion for theatre and teaching to the students at Greenhills. Jim sought and nurtured the best in his students, turning torchbearers into kings, chorus members into divas, and rude mechanicals into royal players. He made everyone around him, students and faculty alike, feel significant, on and off the stage. This award is given to students who have demonstrated a proficiency in and passion for the performing arts and who honor Jim’s spirit of wanting to bring out the best in others.

Ty Compere Forensics Award: Elisia Ceballo-Countryman, Delaney Feldeisen

The Ty Compere Award is presented annually to a senior member of the upper school forensics team who embodies the commitment to excellence in public speaking exhibited by former Greenhills debater Ty Compere.