The Upper School Awards Ceremony is a beloved Oak Knoll tradition that marks the close of the academic year by honoring student achievement, character, and leadership. On Friday, June 6, the school community gathered in the Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate the many accomplishments of our Upper School students during the 2024-25 school year.

Upper School Division Head Laura Hollenbaugh welcomed students, families, faculty, staff, administrators, and guests, extending special gratitude to the Class of 2025.

“Seniors, we thank you for your leadership this year and for sharing your gifts and talents with our community,” she stated. “Parents, we thank you for sharing your daughters with us, and for your partnership and the support you’ve extended to our  school community, especially during this year.” 

Hollenbaugh reflected on her message from the opening assembly in September, encouraging students to view excellence not as a prize, but as a mindset.

“I encouraged you to embrace the pursuit of excellence as something personal, not about being better than someone else, but about knowing where you started and measuring yourself against yourself,” she reminded them.   

Recipients of Oak Knoll’s All-School Awards include:

Valedictorian
Cora Hsu-Laborde ’25

Dr. Shirley A. Jackson Award for Excellence in Science
Cora Hsu-Laborde ’25

Connelly Scholar Award:

• Amber Clovis ’29
• Alexa Noonan ’29
• Scout Rivera ’29
• Ellis Sobers ’29
• Kelsey Wincko ’29

Katie MacMaster Award
Hailey Milnes ’29

Brigid Gibbons Award
Gaelle Jones ’26

Holy Child Spirit Award 
Moira Joel ’25

Michele Proia Award
Amelia Pace ’25

Rita O’Brien Kentz Award
Keira Ardise ’25   

Sr. Elizabeth Barber Award
Cora Hsu-Laborde ’25

Dr. Yvonne Imbleau Award
Lauren White ’25 

The Latin Scholar Award
Lillyana Venezia ’25

For a complete description of each award, click here.

Alongside Head of School Jennifer G. Landis, Hollenbaugh then presented each senior with a Holy Child Medal from the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, along with a prayer card from the Committee of the Cornelian Association — symbols of the school’s faith and values.

Zoe Harmaty ’25, this year’s Salutatorian, followed with a poignant and heartfelt address.

“Today, we stand on the edge of something new,” she said. “Before we look ahead, we glance back at the winding, sometimes bumpy, yet always meaningful path that brought us here. If we look closely, we realize it wasn’t just the big moments — championships, performances, or college acceptance letters — that defined our journey. It was often the little moments that became big memories.”

Senior members of the Oak Knoll Cum Laude Society were also acknowledged. A complete list of junior and senior inductees can be found here.

Recipients of the major Senior Athletic Awards were recognized, including Women in Sports Award Winner Milan Jones ’25; Kelly E. Durkin Award Winner Alex Genua ’25; Scholar Athlete Award Winner Betsy Burton ’25; and Athlete of the Year Award Winner Danya Spoor ’25.

For a complete description of each award, click here.

Students in grades 7-12 were celebrated for outstanding achievement across all departments, including academics, the performing and creative arts, world language, athletics, computer science, music, English, history, mathematics, physical education, science, and theology, including:

Computer Science:     

• Sally Marchesi ’26
• Lauren McPhail ’25

Creative Arts:

• Cara Rodgers ’26

Fine Arts:

• Magdalene Battista ’26
• Emily Van Orden ’25

Music:  

• Sara Kaplan ’26
• Alexandra Huegel ’25

Photography:

• Tallula Stebbings ’26
• Lauren McPhail ’25

Theatre:

• Scarlett Mahoney ’26
• Grace Ritter ’25

English:

• Abigail Paulos ’30
• Amber Clovis ’29
• Winifred Ohene-Ologo ’28
• Sofia Tromonda ’27
• Victoria Da Silva ’26
• Zoe Harmaty ’25 

History:

• Katherine Alibhai ’30
• Ellis Sobers ’29
• Chloe Wells-Roth ’28
• Therese Ohene-Ologo ’27 
• Keira McGowan ’26
• Annie Egan ’25

Mathematics:

• Eva Simcik ’30
• Kelsey Wincko ’29
• Nina Hinic ’28
• Rorygrace Thompson ’27
• Mackenzie Motroni ’26
• Isabella Dasilva ’25    

P.E. & Wellness:

• Cece Blatt ’30
• Lulu Huegel ’29
• Isabella Ceballos ’28
• Bevin Perdue ’27
• Gaelle Jones ’26

Science:

• Alicia Wilches ’30
• Bridgid Flynn ’29
• Orla Marchesi ’28
• Caroline Burr ’27
• Abigail Han ’26
• Alexandra Genua ’25

Theology: 

• Isabel Halpin ’30
• Sloane Makovsky ’29
• Madeline DeLong ’28
• Margaret Curtis ’27
• Quinn McNany ’26
• Abigail Cirillo ’25

World Language:

• Devon Tarpley ’30
• Hailey Milnes ’29
• Angelina Sciaretta ’28
• Ivy Cynosky ’27
• Grace Bienstock ’26

Artists previously recognized during the annual Arts Celebration were also honored during the awards celebration. 

Oak Knoll students who were inducted into the World Language Honor Society this spring were honored as well.

Mackenzie Lee ’29 earned the Hope Memorial Library Annual Book Lover’s Award, bestowed upon Oak Knoll’s most enthusiastic reader of the 2024-25 school year. 

Ciara Loughrey ‘25 was also recognized as the Class of 2025 “lifer” for having attended Oak Knoll since kindergarten.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025 and all OKS Upper School students!