Citizen, Scholar, Steward

Upper school students receive awards at Class Day ceremony

The annual Upper School Class Day assembly honors students for achievements in academics, athletics, and the arts. Congratulations to our 2021-22 school year award winners.
The Class Day awards are listed below:

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

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

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 Parker Touma.

The 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 Usma Sajid.

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 Meena Rao.

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 Kate Whiting.

The Bill Beam Jr. ’76 Senior Athlete of the Year Award recognizes outstanding contributions in the area of athletics. This year’s recipients are Parker Touma and Abbie Grogan.

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 Megan Delande and Ethan Hawes.

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 Megan Delande.

The Smith Award is presented to the junior with significant academic potential and a commitment to making a difference in their communities. This year’s recipient is Emaan Sayied.

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 Natalie Hayden.

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 Hugh Kuffner.

The University of Virginia 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 Lily Ladson.

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

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 Ben Greenberg.

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 Daniel Bronfman.

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 Daniel Bronfman.

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 Daniel Moriarty.

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 Avani Singal and Daniel Bronfman.

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 recipients are Emaan Sayied and Megan Delande.

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 Emma Vonder Haar.

The Marguerite McLaughlin Certificate is given for outstanding service in scholastic yearbook production, good citizenship, and high scholarship. This year’s recipient is Jenna Shaps.

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 Liv Gudmundsson.

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 Erin Tabler. This year’s Creative Art recipient is Catherine Tanner.

The Wade H. Brown Jr. Award is presented to the sophomore who embodies 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 recipient is Adam Hetman.

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 Oliver Coyne.

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 Mary-Louise Crain.

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:
  • Ninth Grade: Ean Zachariah and Ava Roemer
  • Tenth Grade: Alston Williams and Elle Lenihan
  • Eleventh Grade: Xavier Hayden and Cami Willinger
  • Twelfth Grade: Alexandra Fogarty and Sem Ferid
 
Each year, KCD’s troupe #1065 of the International Thespian Society, an honorary society for high school students interested in Theater Arts, recognizes the outstanding students of the troupe with selected awards.
  • This year’s Best Thespian Award recipient is Laura Bache
  • This year’s Most Improved Thespian Award recipient is William Jay
  • This year’s Best Technical Support Award recipient is Riley Lewis

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 Emma Vonder Haar.

This year’s recipient of the Coach of the Year Award is Charlie Traughber.

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

Computer Science
  • AP Computer Science A: Minhal Nazeer
  • AP Computer Science Principles: Megan Delande

English
  • Advanced English 9: Milan Mack
  • Advanced English 10: Amie Ladd
  • AP English 11: Emaan Sayied 
  • AP English 12: Laura Bache 

Fine Arts
  • AP Art History: Chloe Shea
  • Orchestra: Hugh Kuffner and Briah Hawker
  • Advanced Orchestra: Isaiah Robinson and Bryce Wunderlich
  • Studio Art, 2-D: Ava Hurwitz 
  • Select Choir: Laura Bache
  • Ceramics: Clare Martin
  • AP Music Theory: Liv Gudmundsson

Math
  • Algebra I: Luna Paradis Wiebe
  • Advanced Geometry: Oliver Coyne
  • Advanced Algebra 2: Yunis Kutmah
  • Adv. Precalculus: Ryan Schuering
  • Calculus: Graesyn Heimer
  • AP Calculus AB: Bright Zheng
  • AP Calculus BC: Zach Schonwetter
  • AP Statistics: Emma Vonder Haar

Science
  • AP Chemistry: Smera Dwivedi 
  • Chemistry: Jane Hochman
  • AP Biology: Daniel Bronfman
  • Biology: Hugh Kuffner
  • AP Physics: Daniel Bronfman
  • Adv. Physics I: Derock Xie
  • Physics I: Shaan Bains

Social Studies
  • World History: Luna Paradis Wiebe
  • Government/Economics: Katie Swisher
  • AP Government/Politics: Gage Mizuguchi
  • US History: Jake Figa 
  • AP US History: Drew Collis
  • Psychology: Joy Carstanjen
  • AP Psychology: Emma Vonder Haar 

World Language
  • AP French: Graesyn Heimer
  • Adv. French IV: Hugh Kuffner
  • French III: Adam Hetman
  • French II: Leighton Spears
  • French I: Natalie Hayden
  • Spanish I: Bright Zheng
  • Spanish III: Ava Hurwitz and Ryan Schuering
  • Spanish II: Adam Dockstader
  • Spanish IV:  Ben Greenberg
  • AP Spanish: Erin Tabler
  • Latin II: Crawford Becker
  • Latin III: Katie Coulter
  • Adv. Latin IV: Megan Delande
  • AP Latin: Josie Shapira 
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Kentucky Country Day School is a private JK–12, coeducational school located on a spacious 80+ acre campus in Louisville, KY. KCD combines a rigorous academic program with a wide variety of athletic and extracurricular programs. Our outstanding faculty creates an intimate learning environment that is both challenging and supportive.