Byram Hills HS Inducts 21 Seniors Into Cum Laude Society

ARMONK, NY — Byram Hills High School inducted 21 seniors into the Cum Laude Society, an honor that recognizes extraordinary academic excellence.

The students, inducted Thursday night, make up the top 10% of the Class of 2022, based on their weighted GPAs, according to a school spokesperson.

The students are Luke Abbruzzese, Olivia Addeo, Derek Araki-Kurdyla, Edith Bachmann, Alex Berkman, Ryan Bernstein, Amelia Chung, Gabriella Colabello, Jacob Geyman, Samantha Glusky, Arielle Goldman, Hallie Gordon, Dylan Haber, Owen Kirkwood, Sydney Levy, Nora Lowe, Julia Lucchino, Emily Pizzorusso, Arianna Tabankin, Olivia Tedesco and Jane Zeltner.

Principal Christopher Walsh welcomed the inductees, their loved ones, faculty members and administrators to the ceremony, held for the first time in the high school theater. He noted that “the road to Cum Laude induction is strenuous in the best of years.” But for these students, members of the only class now at the high school to have had a school year uninterrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the path has been extraordinary, as the “academic playing field changed overnight” in 2020, their sophomore year.

“They had to improvise, adapt and overcome in a way that no other class that I can remember had to do,” Walsh said. “The overwhelming majority of their high school experience was in flux. They managed to do it at the highest levels. Your academic achievement, it really is incredible given the uniqueness of your experience.”

He urged the seniors to embrace the rest of their time at Byram Hills.

“Even though we are celebrating your academic success, I want you to make memories that you don’t find in a textbook,” Walsh said. “You’ve proven that you're dedicated to your academics. Please make sure to dedicate yourself to your own wellness.”

Walsh recognized more than a dozen faculty members invited by inductees as a way to thank them for having a positive effect on their learning. The teachers received rousing applause.

“This tradition of inviting past teachers to be a part of the celebration represents the best of Byram Hills and shows that with every great achievement, there must be gratitude,” Walsh said. “The inductees may forget what you’ve all taught them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

The Cum Laude address was delivered by social studies teacher Thomas Andriello, who offered the inductees his “copyright-pending life philosophy” for how to have a guaranteed successful college experience.

Step 1, he said, is to take a philosophy class. “This is something I wish more people would use and study,” he said. “It teaches us to think deeply, question logic in an attempt to understand human nature.”

The next step is to spend a semester off campus having a different experience. “Go do something unique,” Andriello said, like spending a semester abroad or participating in an internship.

Step 3 is to “take one class just because it sounds cool and make sure it’s not part of your major,” he said, mentioning the acting for nondrama majors class he took senior year. He draws on what he learned from that class every day.

“Take advantage of your time in college, explore, discover, take a risk,” Andriello said. “You never know how it might impact your life down the line.”

“Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment,” he added. “It's something you should be proud of, something you have earned, something that should be remembered. Now go out there and find yourself.”

The high school jazz choir opened the ceremony by performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and later sang “Seasons of Love” and “Take Me Home.” During the swearing-in, each student was called to the center of the stage to receive a certificate.

Dr. Sandra Abt, the president of the Byram Hills chapter of the society, discussed the importance of friendships.

“I hope that as you reflect on your friendships, they have provided comfort, wisdom, stability and a break from loneliness,” she told the students. “You have gotten an excellent education and foundation here at Byram Hills. Cherish your remaining days here. Appreciate the knowledge and skills that you are learning, appreciate your teachers and friends. Strive to make a difference, do good, don’t be complacent, use the unexpected in your life and the occasional failure to make good choices. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”

To great applause, Abt announced this year’s faculty inductee, English teacher Jessica Shaw, who will deliver the Cum Laude address next year.

“She is hardworking and focused, she is always positive, she has a joie de vivre about her,” Abt said. “She sets high standards for herself and her students. She loves learning and she imparts this value to her students each day by example.”

The Cum Laude Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1906 that honors academic achievement in secondary schools. It has 382 chapters, primarily in independent schools. The Byram Hills chapter is one of about two dozen public school chapters.

The students in the photo are, from left, in the front row: Edith Bachmann, Emily Pizzorusso, Olivia Tedesco, Olivia Addeo, Nora Lowe. Second row: Hallie Gordon, Samantha Glusky, Arianna Tabankin, Amelia Chung, Sydney Levy. Third row: Derek Araki-Kurdyla, Arielle Goldman, Julia Lucchino, Alex Berkman, Jane Zeltner. Back row: Luke Abbruzzese, Dylan Haber, Owen Kirkwood, Ryan Bernstein, Jacob Geyman. Not pictured: Gabriella Colabello.