Friends' Central Celebrates Student Achievements

Learn more about Friends’ Central’s students’ achievements.

On Friday, May 15, Friends’ Central School held its annual Upper School Academic Awards Assembly, in which students were recognized for their outstanding efforts in academics, arts, athletics, service, and citizenship. Highlighting the assembly was the induction of 19 members of the Class of 2015 into the Cum Laude Society.

The Cum Laude Society recognizes the distinguished academic record of students during their Friends’ Central career. Head of School Craig Sellers addressed this year’s inductees by saying that, as members of the Friends’ Central Cum Laude Society, part of their responsibilities is “to make some contribution to the ongoing search for greater understanding of the world in which we live.” The 2015 inductees into the Friends’ Central School Cum Laude Society are: Olivia Backal-Balik, Julia Barr, Justin Burdge, Rebecca Buxbaum, Amy Goldfischer, Saoirse Hahn, Samuel Kruger, Sophie MacFarlane, Caelie McRobert, Odette Moolten, Haralambos Mourelatos, Alexander Nichol, Noah Silvestry, Noah Snyder, Anna Sorensen, Hannah Szapary, Adam Trask, Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson, and Matthew Wilson.

The Language Award, given by the Language Department, recognizes juniors and seniors who haveexhibited exceptional achievement on an advanced level and enthusiasmin their foreign language studies, was awarded to Rebecca Buxbaum, Jessica Miller, Noah Silvestry, and Hannah Szapary.

The History Paper Prize, given by the History Department to highlight the best of the junior American History papers, was awarded to Christopher Levy and Hannah Szapary.

The Mathematical Association of America and Friends’ Central School presented the Mathematical Award to Alexander Nichol, who scored the highest on the Annual American high School Mathematics Examination.

The Science Award, presented by the faculty of the Science Department to those seniors who have demonstrated excellence in scientific scholarship and achievement and have shown breadth of study across the science disciplines, was presented to Haralambos Mourelatos and Hannah Szapary.

Sponsored by the English Department, The Poets and Playwrights Prize, which recognizes the work of poets and dramatists in our student community, was presented to Sara Thal.

The Ramsey Award for Prose, founded by writer, editor, and public relations director Mary Ann Ramsey ’41, which recognizes a writer for a piece of fiction or non-fiction prose, was presented to Madeline Coss.

Certificates for Service Recognition, recognizing students who have completed 40 or more hours of community service – outside of the Friends’ Central-required service – for a non-profit agency, were presented to Hannah Anderson, Laura Barr, Charles Blumberg, Victoria Brier, Zayn Carey, Caroline Fakharzadeh, Amy Goldfischer, Dane Greisiger, Leah Harris, Madison Harris, Colin Hitt, Anne Kennedy, Lucy Shields, Lily Snider, Claire Szapary, and Emma Verges.

The Arts Award is given to a student who, throughout the course of his/her high school career, has demonstrated vision, intelligence, skill, and a love of image-making. They have integrated their eyes, their minds, their hands, and their hearts. This year, the award is proudly given to Amy Goldfischer and Shira Prusky.

The Benjamin V. Ogden Memorial Award, created by the children of Benjamin Ogden, the first director of Friends’ Central’s summer day camp and P.E. teacher at Overbrook High School and Temple University, to recognize students who embody the spirit of Benjamin Ogden, whose well-roundedness has been an example to our community, was presented to Lisa Bernstein, Sophie MacFarlane, and Hannah Szapary.

The John H. McCollum Memorial Award, in honor of John H. McCollum, former English teacher and the first dean of the senior class, beloved by students who appreciated his honesty, his high expectations, and his willingness to listen, was established by the Home and School Association to honor students whose generosity of spirit, like McCollum’s, has touched the Friends’ Central community, whose warmth, wit, and openness to all has fostered collaboration instead of competition, and who have acted often behind-the-scenes, without drawing much attention to themselves, was presented to: Amber Alston, Elliot Davis, Mica Moultrie-Bullock, Steven Nguyen, and Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson.

The Susan Durnford Snipes Memorial Award, in honor of Susan Durnford, a former biology teacher at FCS whose life resonated with joy: joy found in living, joy found in serving, joy found in teaching, joy found in people, is given to those students who have joyfully and with integrity served the community of Friends’ Central while students here, was presented to: Saoirse Hahn, Hanna Lafferty, Nikki Lewis, Grace McDonnell, and Jessica Weiss.

The Calvin H. Rankin, Jr. Memorial Award, given to those students who embody the spirit of Calvin Rankin, a 1943 graduate of Friends’ Central who is remembered for his sensitive spirit, his love of writing and music, and especially for his character, which combined gentleness with integrity, was presented to Olivia Backal-Balik, Amy Goldfischer, and Christopher Levy.

The Leola Adelaide Smith Memorial Award, given to those students who embody the spirit of Leola Adelaide Smith, a 1974 graduate of Friends’ Central remembered for her dignity, integrity, her love of people, her talent in music and art, and for imbuing all of her activities with a sense of her presence as a member of the group, with an eye toward the whole group’s function, not only her own individual contribution, was presented to Kellan Barr, Rebecca Buxbaum, and Sahva Gebrehiwet.

The Florence Jackson Award, given to one or more girls in the senior class, who, through their dedication and love of sports, have shown to the coaches the outstanding qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and spirit, which Mrs. Jackson sought to instill, was presented to Lisa Bernstein, Saoirse Hahn, and Hannah Szapary.

The David Kirk Memorial Award, given to a boy, who, through his dedication and love of sports, has shown to his coaches the outstanding qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and spirit, which David Kirk sought to instill, was presented to Noah Snyder.

The Outstanding Senior Athlete Award, given to members of the graduating class who have demonstrated outstanding skills in athletic competition as members of at least two Friends’ Central Varsity teams during their senior year, exhibiting athletic achievement, leadership ability, and sportsmanship throughout their high school careers, was presented to Ardon Fryer and Sophie MacFarlane.

Special Award Presentation, given for perfect attendance during all four years of Upper School, was presented to Rose Gendelman.

The Executive Award, given to a boy and girl in the Upper School, who, by vote of students and faculty, represent the highest qualifications of school citizenship, was presented to Lisa Bernstein and Grant McCord.