This morning, the Upper School community gathered in Thies Auditorium for one of the signal events of the Charlotte Latin School year: a celebration of the outstanding achievements of its students across a wide spectrum of human knowledge and effort. Students were lauded in personal terms, loudly applauded by their peers, and summoned to the stage in recognition of their accomplishments.

The privilege of administering these awards was distributed among members of the faculty and administration, including Head of School Chuck Baldecchi, Associate Head of School Dr. Sonja Taylor, Head of Upper School Lawrence Wall, Dean of Academic Affairs Abigail Cudabac, and Dean of Students Tracey Vanneste.

The Baird Award, sponsored by Baird Private Wealth Management, is given annually to a graduating senior who displays a strong work ethic, seeks growth-promoting opportunities, challenges himself to excel and who has an interest in business, finance, or economics. The recipient receives a $1,000 scholarship and the opportunity to intern at Baird: it went to Joe McGirt ’25.

Lieutenant General Mark E. Weatherington, retired Air Force, spoke about the appointment of Graham Blanton ’25 to the Air Force Academy, while Blue and Gold Officer DeeAnn Guthrie presented Brendan Miles ’25 with his Naval Academy appointment.

The Hampden-Sydney Book Award went to the “old soul” Wills Hutchinson ’26.

The Harvard Prize Book Award honors outstanding high school students for academic and personal accomplishments: it went to “absolute gem of the CLS community” Connor Cruz ’26.

The Optime Merens award, awarded by Charlotte Latin to students who would enrich any college campus, went to a student who “uncovers the nuanced meanings of literary texts with the zeal of a university-level scholar”: Jackie Rao ’26.

The St. Lawrence University Book Award recognizes students who have made exceptional contributions in the areas of equality, diversity, and inclusion and have worked to foster a community where all individuals are respected and valued. It went to “a study in the power of simply speaking to others”: Maxwell Williams ’26.

The University of Virginia’s Jefferson Book Award recognizes “a demonstrated citizen leader who… embraces creativity and innovation…[and] works to improve his or her community locally or globally”. The recipient this year was “exceptional problem-solver” Angelina Yang ’26.

The William and Mary Leadership Award is presented to a junior who demonstrates inspirational leadership, outstanding scholarship, and unwavering loyalty to their high school and community: it was awarded to “a gifted writer and a leader by example,” Isabel Yang ’26.

The Yale Book Award is given to a junior with outstanding character and a high level of intellectual achievement: this year, “triple-threat scholar, athlete, and gentleman” Peter DiSciullo ’26.

The Class of 1975 Award went to a student who “solves problems with kindness, curiosity, and an eagerness to serve”: Claire Addison ’25.

The Class of 1982 Award was received by a student whose “overriding motivation is to care for others and to bring joy to any space she inhabits”: Kelsey Sciacca ’26.

The Marjorie Nicholls Friendship Award, named in honor of a departed member of the class of 1985, and further funded by the class of 1994, goes to a senior who embodies her spirit of amity: this year, the “always kind and endlessly approachable” Kate Livingston ’25.

The Bob Patten Scholarship Award honors a student who exemplifies the spirit, character, and discipline of Bob Patten, long-time Charlotte Latin School football coach and Dean of Students: it went to “the ideal teammate” Banks Cutter ’26.

The Frederick Douglass & Susan B. Anthony Award recognizes a junior with a demonstrated commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues, a dedication to community action, and achievement in rigorous courses in the humanities and social sciences: the honor was received by “a student who demonstrates moral courage daily,” Lewawit Alemu ’26.

The Global Citizen Award honors a student who “demonstrates a curiosity about our interconnected world,” said Kelly Willis, Director of Global Studies: Natalie Gaslin ’25.

The George Eastman Young Leaders Award is given to a junior with strong leadership skills, excellent grades in a challenging curriculum, and dedication to varied, extensive, or time-consuming co-curricular activities: this year, a student who “values fairness and integrity and models that for others,” Mac Fletcher ’26.

The plaque for the Patrick N. Calhoun Sportsmanship Award says that it is for “outstanding contributions to Charlotte Latin School’s Athletic Program in leadership, teamwork, ability, and high standard of conduct”: it went to “the rarest breed of Hawk,” Alison Archibald ’25.

Lori Davis, Director of Student Publications, gave the Hawk Eye Award to a student she said “exemplifies not only excellence in his work but also fosters connection”: Ben Goldman ’26.

She also presented the Eyry Leadership Award to two students who demonstrated their resilience and drive during their tenures as co-editors-in-chief of the school yearbook: Emily Farmer ’27 and Sam Lyons ’27.

The C.W. Stacks Service Award, recognizing a student who has transformed the lives of others through their volunteer work, went to a student Upper School Science Teacher Dr. Topher Gee praised for “her deep commitment to addressing community needs in tangible ways”: Sydney Query ’25.

Amy Zinn, Director of Student Council, sang the praises of the ten seniors who served on StuCo, and gave the Student Council award to a “reliable, positive, and deeply committed student leader”: Tyler McAndrews ’25.

The Outstanding Contribution to Drama Award went to a student that Director of Theater Arts Matt Cosper lauded for her “unfettered imagination and delightful chaos”: Kate Griesser ’25.

He praised the winner of the Excellence in Musical Theater Award for “his unique presence and can-do professionalism”: Adam Stone ’25.

The Excellence in Technical Theatre Award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated superior professionalism, knowledge, leadership, and dedication to the Charlotte Latin Stage Crew and the Performing Arts Department: it went to the “highly respected” Claire Addison ’25.

The John Philip Sousa Band Award, the top nationwide award for school band, is presented to an outstanding band student in recognition of superior musicianship, leadership, dependability, loyalty, discipline and cooperation. Alicia Long, Director of Performing Arts, cited the “tenacious persistence” of William Austin ’25. 

The National School Orchestra Award goes to a student who has demonstrated outstanding musicianship and leadership, praised by Long for always looking for “a deeper understanding of the music”:  Kavya Sagunarthy ’25.

The Outstanding Achievement in Visual Art Award was described by Visual Arts Department Chair Kaila Gottschling as “renowned for her self-portraits and portraits of her friends and family”: Madison Nabors ’25.

The Most Outstanding Competitor in Speech Award was described by Director of Speech and Debate Bilal Butt as “an exceptionally confident and poised young leader”: Natalie Gaslin ’25.

He cited the recipient of the Most Outstanding Competitor in Debate Award as a student who “understands the significance of debate not only for himself, but has worked to increase debate access through the nation”: Anish Thota ’25.

The Coaches’ Award, the highest honor of the speech and debate program, went to “model of sportsmanship and character” Adam Stone ’25.

The Victor Hugo Award, for excellence in French, was awarded by World Languages Department Chair to a student who “fully understands that language is more than a collection of words, but a means of conveying meaning between human beings”: Lynn Zhao ’26.

The Homer Award, for excellence in Greek, went to a student “who displays all the traits of a nascent philologist of the first rank”: Emily Cao ’26.

The Petrarch Award, for excellence in Latin, went to a student who “sets the standard for consistently outstanding performance in all aspects of the language”: Andrew Chen ’25.

The Cervantes Award, for excellence in Spanish, was received by “a student with generational talent,” Adam Stone ’25.

Two students received recognition for their extraordinary success in the American Mathematics Competitions, aka the AMC 10 and AMC 12. Dr. Rebecca Courter, Upper School Mathematics Teacher, lauded the “thoughtful engagement” of Nishant Ashri ’27 and the “joy and intellectual rigor” of Kabir Nawaz ’26.

The Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award, rewarding high achievement and rigor in science and math classes, plus positive contributions to a student’s school and larger community, went to a student that Upper School Science Department Chair Jessie Sellner said had “made active questioning the foundation of her scientific journey”: Jackie Rao ’26.

The Rensselaer Medal, for excellence in both science and mathematics, was awarded to the “hyper-focused” Isabel Yang ’26.

As a result of excelling on the PSAT exam in the fall of their junior years, Charlotte Latin School had 16 Commended Students and seven National Merit Finalists, three of whom were awarded a National Merit Scholarship: Nishanth Gaddam ’25, Phillip Hullinger ’25, and H.T. Stinson ’25.

The College Board also cited the academic achievements of twelve Latin students through its National Recognition Program, which identifies students from underrepresented groups who excel both in their classwork and on College Board exams. 

The AP Scholar Award went to 21 students who had scored 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams; the AP Scholar with Honor Award went to 11 students who had an average score of 3.25 on all AP Exams and 3 or higher on four or more exams; the AP Scholar with Distinction Award went to nine students who had an average score of 3.5 on all AP Exams and 3 or higher on five or more exams.

In addition, the program honored faculty members who were retiring from Latin: Melissa Barger, Sandy Dubick, Stephanie Gardner, Jason Parker, Emily Round, and particularly “Senor” Bob Patten, Upper School Spanish Teacher, retiring after 34 years. Head of Upper School Lawrence E. Wall was also honored for his 25 years of service.

Three individual teachers also received high honors: the Jane Bratton Spratt Award went to “pillar of the English department” Megan Butt; the Inlustrate Orbem Award for a teacher doing cross-divisional work went to “our first lady of the classics” Karen McQuaid; the Inlustrate Orbem Award for a teacher in the Upper School went to the leader of the Upper School Educational Technology program, an “outstanding educator on whose professionalism his department and division alike depend,” Aaron Koch.