Seven Oak Knoll juniors and six Oak Knoll seniors were inducted into the national Cum Laude Society in a special ceremony on Friday, April 4, 2025, in the Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts. Inductees and their families gathered for a small reception in the Aileen Maury Dining Hall following the ceremony.

The Cum Laude Society recognizes academic achievement in secondary schools. Its motto is Areté, Diké, Timé, which translates as “Excellence, Justice, Honor.”

Current junior class inductees included Grace Bienstock ’26, of Maplewood;  Anna Chamberlin ’26, of Maplewood;  Pia Franzese ’26,  of Short Hills; Abigail Han ’26, of Union;  Ella Hennessy ’26, of Far Hills;  Mackenzie Motroni ’26, of Short Hills; and Anum Rizvi ’26, of Randolph.

Current senior class inductees included Keira Ardise ’25, of Madison; Audrey Cicchino ’25, of Chatham;  Isabella Dasilva ’25, of Morristown; Anne Egan ’25, of Madison; Claire Kleedorfer ’25, of Maplewood;  Lillyana Rose Venezia ’25, of North Caldwell.

The ceremony also commended current seniors that were inducted into Cum Laude as juniors last spring, including Beatrice Burton ’25, of Chatham; Avery Drone ’25, of Summit; Zoe Harmaty ’25, of Basking Ridge; Cora Laborde ’25, of West Orange; Amelia Pace ’25, of Morristown; and Lauren White ’25, of Summit.

Head of School Jennifer G. Landis opened the ceremony with prayer, followed by a greeting from Upper School Division Head Laura Hollenbaugh. Regarding the inductees, Hollenbaugh stated, “They’ve shown up day after day, pushed through tough assignments, made sacrifices, and held themselves to a high standard. And while this recognition is satisfying, I suspect that the real reason they’ve done this is because they genuinely care about learning.”

Kaitlin Schroeder Patton ’15 was the alumna guest speaker at the celebration. While commending the students for their outstanding academic achievement, she also asked them to take a moment to appreciate those around them who offered support along the way. “Whether they directly taught you in the classroom, opened your eyes to a new area of interest, or just got the laundry done so you’d have time to focus on your work, give them a quick pat on the back later and join the celebration.”

 Patton is a dedicated public health professional with a passion for cancer research, health communication, and patient advocacy. She was  valedictorian of her Oak Knoll graduating class and went on to graduate with distinction from Stanford University, where she studied human biology and earned Phi Beta Kappa honors. She was later accepted into the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, earning her master of Public Health with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Oak Knoll formally became part of the Cum Laude Society 39 years ago. The Cum Laude Society originated in Maryland in 1906 to ensure that scholastic achievement is accorded as much recognition as that given to other accomplishments.

Congratulations to all our inductees!