Spring Awards Ceremony, A Celebration of Achievement and Excellence

On Friday, May 23, Westminster School commenced its celebration of the Class of 2025 by honoring students at the Spring Awards Ceremony. In a celebration that highlighted excellence in academics, athletics, the arts, and community service, students, faculty, staff and guests gathered to reflect on the contributions and achievements of Westminster students.

Head of School Elaine White opened the ceremony by warmly welcoming families and guests. She congratulated the Class of 2025 and acknowledged the close of a significant chapter in their Westminster journey.

White invited the audience to reflect silently on “the beauty of this place and our lives on the Hill,” emphasizing gratitude as a cornerstone of the community. She also delivered a heartfelt tribute to the dean of the Class of 2025, Kelly Wosleger, recognizing her unwavering support, deep empathy and extraordinary dedication over four years. “You were her first babies,” White said, as she led a standing ovation for “Mrs. Wos.”

Academic Dean Betsy Heckman announced the Sixth Formers who earned Summus honors for the spring term:

Jason Hu

Cindion Huang

Cooper Kraus

Adela McKinney

Lily Raskind

Meiyin Ren

Finn Seeley

Lily Vincent

Viktoriia Voitiuk

Allysen Whitehead

Director of Theater and Dean of Student Life A-men Rasheed presented the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award to Kaitlynn Wang ’28.

 

Director of Athletics Timothy Joncas ’00 presented the spring athletic awards.

The Berry Award recognizes the player from each lower team who gave the best effort and demonstrated the best attitude throughout the season.

 

JV Boys Golf: Corbin Simons ’25

JV Baseball: Massimo Guarnieri ’26

JV Softball: Lilly McMillen ’27

JV Boys’ Lacrosse: Caden Weichselbaumer ’28 

3rd Boys Lacrosse: Rafa Rodrigues ’28

JV Girls’ Lacrosse: Chase Hager ’26

JV Boys’ Tennis: Xavier Kahn ’27

JV Girls’ Tennis: Elle Kozusko ’25

3rd Girls’ Tennis: Chelsea Khuu ’28

3rd Boys Tennis: Colin Daly ’27

 

 

Michelini MIP: Jake Pleau ’26

Lea MVP: Easton Masse ’25

 

MIG: Jack Fichthorn ’26

MVG: Brody DiBeneditto ’26

 

MIG: Catherine Knauf ’27

Stevens MVG: Cindion Huang ’25

 

Ground Ball Award: Hadley Crowther ’25

MIP: Gigi Filippetti ’26

Kurtz MVP: Liza Merrill ’25

Hovey Ground Ball Award: AJ Kraus ’26

Class of 1981 MIP: Finn Seeley ’25

Hovey MVP: Cooper Kraus ’25

 

MIP: Mya Polastry ’27

MVP: Mia Magriz ’25 and Melody El-Amin Stewart ’27

 

MIP: Lucy Morton ’26

MVP: Elsa Koh ’26

 

MIP: Liam Hibbard ’27

Davenport MVP: Hugh Olson ’25 and Parks Cuskley ’25

 

MIT: Reggie Kanu ’25

Scull MVT: Nate McCleery ’25

 

MIT: Gianna Monaco ’27

Scull MVT: Adrienne Hall ’25

 

MIT: Andrew Ma '27

MVP: Derek Rhodes '25

 

The Stephen Harris Squibb Bowl awards honors the athlete from each varsity team who demonstrated the greatest sportsmanship, consistent effort and inspired performance.

Baseball: Zac Jainchill ’25

Boys’ Golf: Reed Ghriskey ’26

Girls’ Golf: Lucy Wainwright ’25

Boys’ Lacrosse: Jake Andreski ’25

Girls’ Lacrosse: Tilly Lynch ’25, 

Softball: Meiyin Ren ’25

Boys’ Tennis: Parks Cuskley ’25

Girls’ Tennis: Clover Cooper ’26

Boys’ Track: James O’Connell ’25

Girls’ Track: Adela McKinney ’25

Ultimate : Hannah Maltby '26

 The All-Founders League Award is given to two members of each varsity team. The award is given in recognition of those student athletes who best exemplify the league ideals of sportsmanship, hard work and character in the spirit of competition and fair play at the varsity level.

 

Baseball: Will Patla ’25 Alex Mihailovich ’25

Boys’ Golf: Will McCarthy ’25 and Carson Craig ’26

Girls Golf: Cindion Huang ’25 and Lucy Wainwright ’25

Boys’ Lacrosse: Cullen Horn ’25 and Jake Andreski ’25

Girls’ Lacrosse: Taleah Leonard’ 26, Parker Perillo’ ’26 

Softball: Kaitlyn Buda ’27 and Lily Shuster ’27

Boys’ Tennis: Alex Brown ’27 and Henry Flaton ’25

Girls Tennis: Remi Morello ’25 and Helen Marshall ’25 

Boys Track and Field: Benji Hanson ’27, Jayden Reid ’25

Girls Track and Field: Chloe Champoux ’28, Rose Roberston ’28

Ultimate: Alex Wood '25 Anthony DiBartolomeo '25

 

The Hopley-Jackson Award is given to the Westminster lower team or teams with the best season:

Team: JV Girls Lacrosse

Coaches: Sam Kradas, Jun Wanzhen

Captains: Maddie Clark ’25, Sofia Davella ’25

 

The Frederick D. Houghton Award is given to the Westminster team or teams with the best season:

Team: Boys Varsity Tennis and Boys Varsity Golf

Coaches: Nick Cary (Tennis), Peter Ulrich (Golf)

Captains: Hugh Olson ’25 (Tennis), Alexei Kocatas ’25 (Tennis), Will McCarthy ’25 (Golf)

 

The Daly Award was established in 2012 in honor of Dennis A. Daly, who served as a longtime teacher, coach, athletic director and mentor. The award recognizes students who have competed at the varsity level for all three seasons of their Sixth Form year and have demonstrated both a wonderful breadth of athletic pursuits and an extraordinary commitment to the highest level of Westminster sports:

 

Sam Hyde 

Reggie Kanu

Remi Morello

Lauren Neuman

Hayden Schneider

Mana Shida

Allysen Whitehead

Alex Wood

 

Seven Community Pins, which recognize students, faculty and staff for their extraordinary community commitment, were awarded to the following:

 

For her instrumental support and gracious hosting of the Bibliophiles, an intellectual club of readers and learners who are curious about literature and, consequently, curious about life. Jeannie Griffith

For always offering a kind smile and listening ear to anyone on campus and for keeping the candy chest full for all of us who need a little something to get through the day. Siobhan Ulrich

For running team lifts, organizing wellness programs, setting up one-on-one meetings with students about health and performance, and showing up to support at games. His presence, dedication, and genuine care for our students this year have made a significant impact. Chaz Ruffin

For sharing her heart & soul & generations of family with Westminster for 35 years and being the “Nana” of the bookstore, making even the hardest days so much better with her kind words and welcoming smile. Kit Earl

For four years of making us laugh and pretending he wasn’t trying to be a good boy, Zac Jainchill ’25

For being the ultimate “pull up” guy who shows up for every event, who gives numerous tours to dignitaries and who is a friend to all, Miguel de la Fe ’25

For making all the right choices, for bringing drive & determination, kindness & courage to every space imaginable on campus and for being the 2nd Dean for the great class of 2025, Eliza Merrill ’25

 

Established this year by the family of Avery H. Bevin ’59, the Avery H. Bevin ’59 Kindness Award is presented each term to a student who exemplifies kindness, grace, inclusion, and care for individuals. The recipient is chosen through nominations from the student body.

This year’s honoree, Hannah Maltby ’26, received multiple nominations that began with, “She’s the nicest person I have ever met.” Other comments included, “She honestly has the best vibes, and everyone has only the best things to say about her,” and “I wish everyone were like her.”

 

 

The Joan Howard Award, established in 2022 by Julie Morris Ogden ’82, is given in honor of Joan Howard P’00, ’03, who served the Westminster School community for 20 years as an English teacher, a coach and a vital member of the admissions team. This award is given to a tour guide whose devotion to learning and the Westminster community exemplifies that same depth of passion, dedication and interest in others: Danny Maher ’26.

 

The Gazenmuller-Buckey Award is given annually to the student who contributed the most to Admissions this year: Avauni Anderson ’25.

 

Outstanding Community Service Award is presented to the student who demonstrates extraordinary service and commitment to the Westminster community: Alex Goodman ’25

 

The Horizons at Westminster Award for service: Avauni Anderson ’25 and Cayden Darnowski ’25.

 

Brian T. Bruyette Award is voted on by varsity coaches and is given to that Sixth Form boy and girl (this year two girls were awarded) who through their enthusiasm, sportsmanship, effort and skills, represent all that is best in the school.

 

Easton Masse

Lauren Neuman

Emme Pacheco-Hager

 

Academic Dean Betsy Heckman presented the following academic awards and prizes:

 

Edward Scull, Jr., Award for Excellence in Architecture: Sofia Davella ’25 and Emilia Pasquarelli ’25

 

Cowing Art Award: Remi Morello ’25 and Jennifer Yang ’25

 

Gretchen Hupfel ’82 Art Prize: Elise Park ’25

 

J. Lawrence Gilman Award for Achievement in Music and Participation in Musical Activities: Elise Park ’25

Judi Tolomea Dance Award for Outstanding Contributions: Emilia Pasquarelli ’25

 

Lewis J. Powers Photography Award: Deepa Palaniyandy ’25

 

Dramatic Award for Service and Leadership: Cindion Huang ’25

 

Brian Ford Writing Prize: Sunshine Li ’26

 

Critchell Rimington Creative Writing Award: Cindion Huang ’25

 

Gordon McKinley Award for Excellence in English: Lucy Wainwright ’25

 

Fifth Form History Essay Prize: Teagan Overstreet ’26

 

Robert Rodney History Prize: Rafa Rodrigues ’28

 

Peter Briggs Prize for Excellence in Economics: Jason Hu ’25

 

Class of 1941 Peter Mars Memorial History Prize: Lucy Wainwright ’25

 

Burdett Prize for Excellence in the study of French: Cindion Huang ’25

 

Moncada Prize for Excellence in Spanish: Ellie Pearman ’25

 

Kevin Kwok-Fun Chau ’79 Prize for Excellence in Chinese: Mira Hugabonne ’25 and Grace Kim ’25

 

Richard P. Hopely Excellence in Latin Prize: Henry Warren ’25

 

Joyce Wilson Prize for Excellence in Mathematics: Meiyin Ren ’25

 

Excellence in Biology: Pippa Jiranek ’26

 

The Nancy Urner-Berry ’81 Prize for Excellence in Chemistry: Reggie Kanu ’25

Excellence in Physics: Viktoriia Voitiuk ’25

 

Excellence in Science: Meiyin Ren ’25

 

 

Dartmouth Book Award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding academic and leadership qualities and who high moral character, imagination and concern for others has made a positive impact on the school community: Caroline Breslav ’26

 

Harvard Book Prize is given to a Fifth Former who has achieved at the highest level in our most challenging courses and who demonstrates intellectual curiosity, diligence and love of learning in all subjects across the curriculum: Luna Yang ’26

 

Trinity Book Award is presented to Fifth Former who consistently performs at the highest academic level and whose impressive work ethic and dedication reflect a commitment to challenging oneself in all aspects of our program: Sunshine Li ’26

 

Yale Book Award is presented a Fifth Former who demonstrates superb academic achievement in all subjects across the curriculum and whose intellectual curiosity and passion for learning serve as a model to the school community: Pippa Jiranek ’26