Upper School students honored at 2024 Class Day ceremony

The Class Day awards are listed below:

The Ben Tallmadge Jennings Award celebrates and recognizes a senior who is a well-rounded individual and who, through their own individual achievement and contributions to Kentucky Country Day School, has demonstrated integrity, honor, humor, and above all, a concern for their fellow classmates. This year’s recipient is Ava Hurwitz.

The Dabney Family Scholarship recognizes a senior who has demonstrated leadership, academic potential, and a high level of involvement in extracurricular and community service activities. This year’s recipient is Aspen Caudill.

The Jamie Parsley Memorial Scholarship supports students in their pursuit of academic excellence outside of KCD’s regular academic program. Grants may be applied to offset costs for any academic enrichment course of study. This year’s recipients are Adam Dockstader, Jackson Easley and Ann Zhao.

The Frank Houston Miles Science Award recognizes both ability in and devotion to the field of science. This was created by Mr. Miles, in memory of his son and former KCD student, Frank Houston Miles. This year’s recipient is Jenna Figa.

The Ken Wall Award goes to the senior judged by the faculty of the social studies department as its most outstanding student. The winner also receives a cash award to assist them with their first year’s college tuition. This year’s recipient is Katie Swisher.

The Nancy Bowling Prize in Expository Writing is chosen by the English department and is given to the senior who shows the most talent and interest in this form of prose. This year’s recipient is Jill Tabler.

The Phi Beta Kappa Award is given to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. This year’s recipient is Ryan Schuering.

The Dorothy O’Brien Memorial Award is given to the senior who best represents the qualities that Dorothy Caukin O’Brien fostered in her students by her own example: dedication to Kentucky Country Day School, honesty, respect for others, appreciation for work well done, and humor that restores. This year’s recipient is Hailey Hertzman.

The Susan McElwain Memorial Award is given to the senior who is outstanding in character, scholarship, sportsmanship, and athletics. This year’s recipient is Amie Ladd.

The James Pitman Sams, Jr. Award is given to the senior who has demonstrated in every capacity the high ideals of academics, sportsmanship, and citizenship and the outstanding qualities of character, leadership, and personality exemplified by this beloved alumnus. This year’s recipient is Gage Mizuguchi.

The Senior Science and Math Award is chosen by the science and math departments and is given to one or more seniors in recognition of outstanding academic achievement, good character, and superior intellectual promise in the fields of science and math. This year’s recipient is Ryan Schuering.

The Julie and Lorraine Short Memorial Award is chosen by the English and Fine Arts Departments and is given to two outstanding juniors or seniors in the areas of creative writing and creative art. This year’s Creative Writing recipient is Elly Girdler. This year’s Creative Art recipient is Edie Daugherty.

The Rensselaer Award, chosen by the Math and Science Departments, is presented to the outstanding junior “who is ranked in the top 10% of the class; who excels in advanced math and science courses; who demonstrates potential for success in a challenging academic setting; and who exhibits significant involvement in extracurricular activities. This year’s recipient is Bright Zheng.

The Harvard Award is presented to the member of the junior class “who displays excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievements in other fields.” This year’s recipient is Bright Zheng.

The Notre Dame Award is presented to a junior in the top 10% of the class who has demonstrated social and intellectual leadership qualities and made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school. This year’s recipient is Searcy Lotz.

The University of Louisville Award is presented to a junior in the “top 20% of the junior class, and who shows academic promise as determined by the junior faculty. This should not be limited to GPA, but also include factors such as intellectual curiosity and contributions to school and community.” This year’s recipient is Mary-Louise Crain.

The University of Pennsylvania Book Award “recognizes outstanding students whose individual accomplishments embody the University’s highest ideals of scholarship, service, future professional development, and civic contribution.” This year’s recipient is Helen Easley.

The University of Virginia Jefferson Book Award is presented to the junior “who embraces creativity and innovation and embodies the spirit of discovery. The student is a demonstrated leader who works to improve his or her community locally or globally.” This year’s recipient is Adam Dockstader.

The University of Michigan Award is presented to an “outstanding member of the junior class from the standpoint of character, scholarship, leadership and involvement.” This year’s recipient is Derock Xie.

The Brown University Book Award is chosen by the English department to honor the juniors who best combine academic excellence with clarity in written and spoken expression. This year’s recipients are William Bache and Searcy Lotz.

The Yale University Award is presented to a junior who exhibits “outstanding personal character and intellectual promise.” This year’s recipient is William Bache.

The Wade H. Brown, Jr. Award is presented to sophomores who embody the qualities of this esteemed educator: high academic scores, devotion to KCD through a wide variety of school involvement, and an innate integrity and irrepressible wit. This year’s recipients are Emily Barnes and Lainey Reeves.

The Charles Hunter Dishman Award is given to that boy in the freshman class who is outstanding in achievement and in assuming responsibility in the various activities of the school. This year’s recipient is Dominic Del Negro.

The Faculty Award is given to that girl in the freshman class who is outstanding in achievement and in assuming responsibility in the various activities of the school. This year’s recipient is Neha Khan.

The KCD Fine Arts Guild is proud to announce the recipient of the Fine Arts Guild Scholarship. These awards are offered as a monetary stipend to students in grades 5-12 who are participating in accredited summer programs in the arts. Programs can range from performing to visual arts, both locally and outside of Louisville. This year’s recipient is Maria Salcedo.

The Amelia Moody Music Award is presented to the junior or senior who has been deemed an outstanding contributor to the Upper School Chorus. This year’s recipient is Jill Tabler.

Each year, members of the KCD Fine Arts Department recognize the outstanding students within the performing arts with selected awards. 

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation. This is the first year KCD is able to honor those students who exemplify the ideals of stewardship outlined in our school motto. Each student receives a signed letter from the President of the United States and a Medal corresponding to their accomplished tier. The age category is determined by the age the student was for at least 7 months within the 12-month calendar year of their service. Please hold your applause until all the names are read in each category:

In the Teen category, this year’s recipients are: Aleena Ahmed, Anna Barnickle, Jilly Chestnut, Jackson Easley, Asad Nasir, Abigail Sullivan, Peter Zhang, and Ann Zhao.

In the Young Adult category, this year’s recipients are: Lorelai Anne, William Bache, Shaan Bains, Mihir Chawla, Oliver Coyne, Adam Dockstader, Sam Doster, Savannah Doyle, Jenna Figa, Veronica Goldentul, Searcy Lotz, and Naya Singal. 

The Caementum Award is presented annually to the students whose actions and attitudes have enhanced the cohesiveness of their classes thereby earning the respect and affection of their teachers and classmates. The recipients this year as nominated by their classes and chosen by the faculty are:

The Marguerite McLaughlin Certificate is given for outstanding service in scholastic yearbook production, good citizenship, and high scholarship. This year’s recipients are Ryan Schuering, Sekayi Charasika, and Elyssa Goldstein.

The Course Awards are given to students for outstanding performance in each department. The winners are listed below. 

The Bill Beam Jr. ’76 Senior Athlete of the Year Award recognizes outstanding contributions in the area of athletics. This year’s recipients are Sekayi Charasika and Kennedy Harcourt.

This year’s recipient of the Coach of the Year Award is Matthew Jones.