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The Gunston School celebrated many students during its annual Green & White Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 10, featuring the valedictorian address, personalized comments about every senior, and announced academic department awards, special named awards, and recognition from the greater community, as well as the much-anticipated announcement of the Green & White Cup. Twice each year, Gunston declares a “Green & White field day” as students, faculty and staff divide into two teams and compete in activities that range from canoe races to math competitions, creative writing challenges, and more. The team accumulating the most points from both days wins the Green & White Cup. 

Student body president Sofia Angarita welcomed seniors and their parents who attended the event in person, and the rest of the student body who watched the livestream at home. Head of School John Lewis began the ceremony with thank you’s and one very special one in particular to the parents out in the crowd.

“You’ve been extraordinary partners with us through some of the most difficult years in recent memory. This is a group of young people who possess a high level of responsibility, character, and independence. Their future is bright, and they wouldn’t be here without you.”

And to the Class of 2022, “As a class, you’ve amassed as impressive an academic, extracurricular, social service, and athletic resume of any class in the history of Gunston—that’s not hyperbole—and you’ve done so with grace, fortitude, and fun. You’ve also pulled together impressively as a community of classmates, and thanks to you, I finish this year deeply optimistic, because Class of 2022—I know that your learning and leadership has just begun.” 

After offering brief, personalized remarks about each graduating senior, Mr. Lewis announced the Samuel A. Middleton Award, named in honor of one of the school’s two founders, Gunston's valedictorian award. Today’s winners of the Middleton award are Abbey and Maggie Miller. 

“It goes without saying that Abbey and Maggie’s academic records are exceptional, having earned perfect grade 4.0 point averages across perhaps the most rigorous course loads ever taken at Gunston, including 11 AP courses where they have already been honored as AP Scholars with Distinction, and a math curriculum that includes AP AB/BC Calculus, AP Statistics, and a multivariable calculus course. Outside of the classroom, they are student-athlete-artists, having been on the Varsity Lacrosse and sailing teams, the Champions of the 2022 Eastern Shore Mathematics Competition Champions, National Spanish Exam Medalists, and honorees of the Congressional Art competition. They were both inducted into the National Honor Society, and they are both National Merit Scholarship Finalists, which means that of the 1.5 million American high school seniors who took the PSAT, they were in the top 7,500. That’s the top 1/5th of 1 percent.”

Abbey spoke first and recounted how her family moved to Easton four years ago specifically to attend the Gunston School. “Our hope was that coming to Gunston would allow us to grow into who we are today. That we could make friends and be part of the community, no matter what sport we played or classes we took. Gunston makes the promise that it is a welcoming environment, and they deliver. In high school, there are so many opportunities for kids to be mean, but here, kids choose to be kind. [...] I want to thank Dr. Ahmadi and Mrs. Shep for seeing my potential in math. Mr. Weimer for showing me that stories are the basis of our lives. Señor Angarita, for taking my Spanish to a level that I didn't know was possible. Mr. Lewis, for making me look forward to voting this upcoming fall. Mr. Chafey, and in fact the whole sailing team, for proving that it’s never too late to start something new. All the other teachers, and all my classmates, for making these years ones that I’ll remember forever. And my parents, for always supporting me in whatever I want to do and pushing me to keep striving for better. But most importantly, I couldn't have done it without the person up here standing next to me, my sister Maggie.”

Maggie spoke next, “[A]s a freshman, I was in a class with eight seniors and three juniors, without Abbey at my side. To be honest, I was intimidated. I felt incredibly out of place, and for that reason, I dreaded the class. But I also had a reason to look forward to it; I got to listen to what the seniors were saying. [...] what I learned from those conversations was that seniors weren't these young adults with their futures all planned out, like I previously had thought. They were still kids like me, trying to figure out their lives. They had their own challenges, with college applications, SAT testing, and the knowledge that their lives as they knew it were coming to an end. As much as I'd like to say now that I know what the future has in store for me, I don't. Nobody does. And that is what all of you graduating tomorrow should keep in mind. As much as it may seem that someone has it all together, you don't know their whole story.  Our mom always tells us, "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." It's easy to see the truth of the matter once it's over, but you have to stay focused on what is in front of you. That is why I look forward to seeing where life takes all of you in the next four years, and congratulations once again to the class of 2022.” Abbey will be studying mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester and Maggie will be studying chemical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. 
 

Former athletic director Anita Gruss herself was on hand to present the Anita Gruss Athletic Award to Jude Smith and Lucy Bamford.

Presented by Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis, the prestigious Gunston Award, which began in 1969, is “unique in that it’s chosen by the vote of the entire school community. [...] Each year, I like to describe the recipient in light of our school’s moral code, the Responsibilities of the Community. 

Respect: It’s abundantly clear that respect for everyone lies at the center of this student’s core values. She demonstrates deference and high regard for all she encounters and she advocates fiercely for equity and social justice. This young woman offers and commands respect in equal measure. 

Responsibility for personal and academic excellence: Leader, scholar, athlete. This student completed 26 total credits, nine honors classes, six AP classes, participated in 12 seasons of varsity level athletics, and held leadership roles in student government, national honor society, diversity leadership, yearbook, and on our Green & White teams. A member of the National Honor Society, this student models the qualities of scholarship, leadership, service, and character both inside and outside of the classroom. 

Awareness and appreciation of differences: A strong voice, a visionary and a person of action as a student diversity leader, this individual far exceeds awareness and appreciation and walks the walk as an advocate for others. 

Honesty in speech and in action: Personal and academic integrity are guidestars in this student’s life. She speaks her truth eloquently and fulfills all academic, social, athletic, and personal obligations earnestly and honestly. 
Promotion and practice of camaraderie: By being voted by the entire school by the Gunston awards recipient, it’s clear that this person gets it when it comes to friendship.

It is my honor to present the 2022 Gunston Award to Lucy Bamford.

Athletic Director Josh Breto congratulated this year’s captains: White Team Captains Paige Holmes and Jude Smith and Green Team Captains Lucy Bamford and Colin Lang before announcing that the White Team won this year’s cup, for the fourth year in a row. 

 

2022 G&W AWARDS

Valedictorian (Middleton) Award: Abigail & Magdalena Miller
The Gunston Award: Lucy Bamford
Community Service Award: Anastasia Clair
Leadership Award: Sofia Angarita
Diversity Leader Award: Ashley Escobar
Moore Award for Improvement: Morgan Garner
Paul M. Long Award: Zach Mozher
The Marie Whittico Award: Damian Renè
Megan Virginia Batdorf Award: Aaron Sanderson
Clare Poussard Award: Cy Johnston
Environmental Stewardship Award: Evelyn Hagan
The Faculty Award: Danielle Simmons & Isabella De Leon
The Anita Gruss Athletics Awards: Jude Smith and Lucy Bamford
12 Star Awards: Lucy Bamford, Sebastian Borland, John (Jack) Brady, Josh Campbell, Ben Cunningham, Isabella De Leon, Colin Lang, Samantha LeCrone, Ainsleigh Pocock, Ashton Seaman, and Jude Smith. 
English Award: Tessa Schut
Literature Award: Adam Papadopoulos
Senior Paradigm: Sofia Angarita & Kallena Kemp
Junior Symposium: Zach Mozher
Immersion Award: Jan Serraviñals
English Language Acquisition Award: Rui (Spencer) Liu
Spanish Award: Sofia Angarita & Ashley Escobar
History Award: Colin Lang
Math Award: Abigail & Magdelena Miller
Sciences Award: Sofia Angarita & Samantha LeCrone
Engineering Award: Robert Crow & Ju Lee
Computer Science Award: Leonardo Santoboni
Fine Art Award: Nora FauntLeRoy
Theater Award: Kallena Kemp
Music Award: Alec Sanderson

Green & White Captains for 2022-2023
Green: Julia Buchanan & Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie
White: Paget Kellogg & Lane Parkhurst

Winners of the 2021-2022 G&W Cup: White Team

SGA Executive Officers for 2022-2023
President: Mekonnen Sahle-Salassie
Vice President: Maren Kneeland
Secretary: Logan Kille
 

Class of 2023:
President: Julia Buchanan
Vice President: Autumn Watson
Secretary: Catherine Hansen
Treasurer: Maddie Algier
Representatives: Angelina Lin & Isabelle Requena

Class of 2024:
President: Zoe Buzzelli
Vice President: Benjamin Cook
Secretary: Jessica Hammond
Treasurer: Alice Crouch
Representative: Caitlin Myers

Class of 2025:
President: Benta Owino
Vice President: RP Johnson
Secretary: Grace Hanlon
Treasurer: Sam Mielke

Greater Community & College Awards:

Colin Lang, United States Naval Academy Appointment Recognition
Danielle Simmons, Ronald Reagan Leadership Medal, Chestertown High School Alumni Association Recognition
Ashley Escobar, Senator Van Hollen Public Service Award, George B. Todd Scholarship, Woicke Family Scholarship
Sofia Angarita, CHSAA Memorial Scholarship
Nora FauntLeRoy, Senatorial Scholarship from Senator Ed Reilly

Damian Renè, Harvard Prize Book Award, University of Rochester Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology, Computing Medal from University of Rochester
Kelby Booth, Smith College Book Award
Lane Parkhurst, Williams College Book Award
Julia Buchanan, Saint Michael’s College Book Award
Zach Mozher, Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute Medal, U of Penn Book Award
Angelina Lin, Brown College Book Award, University of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award
Nicholas Abell, University of Rochester Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award
Julia McClary, George Eastman Young Leaders Award
Olivia Amygdalos, Clarkson University Leadership Award
Paget Kellogg, St. Bonaventure University Award
Tom de los Reyes, St. Bonaventure University Award
Grace Evans, Innovation and Creativity, University of Rochester