Fourteen Oak Knoll juniors and seniors were inducted into the national Cum Laude Society in a special ceremony on Friday, April 10, 2026, in front of the Upper School community, as well as parents and families, an audience that shared in the pride and support of these students’ academic journeys.

The Society recognizes academic achievement in secondary schools with the motto of Areté, Diké, Timé, which translates as “Excellence, Justice, Honor.”

Senior inductees included:

• Amelia Flood ’26
• Scarlett Mahoney ’26
• Madison Martin ’26
• Alanna Grace Merritt ’26
• Lauren Stebbings ’26
• Alexandra Striffler ’26
• Kaitlin Wincko ’26

Junior inductees included:

• Caroline Burr ’27
• Siena DePasquale ’27
• Vittoria Gentile ’27
• Gianna Mazzoni ’27  
• Reagan Moore ’27
• Bevin Perdue ’27
• Schuyler Roelke ’27

The ceremony also commended current seniors who were inducted last spring, including Grace Bienstock ’26, Anna Chamberlin ’26, Pia Franzese ’26, Abigail Han ’26, Ella Hennessy ’26, Mackenzie Motroni ’26, and Anum Rizvi ’26.

While grades and GPAs often mark academic achievement, Upper School Division Head Laura Hollenbaugh emphasized that the students’ recognition at the induction ceremony meant much more.

“Today, we recognize the disciplined thinking, the careful decisions, the adjustments, and the resilience that unfold over time,” Hollenbaugh said. “It is within that process, often unseen, often unmeasured, that excellence is formed.”

Also addressing students was Nathalie Beauchamps ’17, who, reflecting on her time at Oak Knoll, urged students to continue advocating for themselves and to appreciate the support and mentorship offered by those around them.

“If there’s one thing I want to leave with you all today, it is not to count yourself out,” said the Class of 2017 valedictorian. “Because my time at OKS and beyond taught me that I’m the only person blocking my success.

“You all are not just here because you’re bright, but because you worked hard and dedicated yourselves to your studies, your teachers, family members, and mentors supported you and invested in you throughout this process,” Beauchamps added. “Beyond your support system, your success reflects character, traits of discipline, industriousness, and a passion for learning. Those skills will take you far.”

Beauchamps, a J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School, currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.

Her experience spans public interest, government, and private practice, including roles with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Upon graduating from law school this spring, she will clerk for judges on the Fifth and Second Circuits and serve as a legal fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute.

A graduate of Yale University, she previously worked at Bain & Company and has remained committed to mentorship, coaching high school debate, and leading a program supporting middle school girls. At Oak Knoll, she graduated as valedictorian, served as class vice president, and was active in the performing arts.

The ceremony also included a powerful prayer offered by Head of School Jennifer G. Landis and a stirring rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E Major by Aria Lee ’29.

Oak Knoll formally became part of the Cum Laude Society four decades ago. The Cum Laude Society originated in Maryland in 1906 to ensure scholastic achievement receives recognition alongside other accomplishments.

Congratulations to all our inductees!