A Message from the Head of School

We welcome you to an annual celebration of academic achievement. Excellence is the enduring standard at Hotchkiss, a standard we will not compromise.  Having said that, the form excellence takes changes over time as approaches to teaching and course content evolve. 

Each year, we award Book Prizes to recognize select members of the prep, lower mid, and upper mid classes for particular academic achievement. The Book Prize recipients have impressed members of the faculty with their mastery of the relevant content, their keen critical thinking, and their curiosity which drives them to understand deeply.  

On behalf of the School and faculty, I am proud to present below the recipients of Hotchkiss’s 2019-20 Book Prizes. The prizes are organized by department and include brief citations written by each student’s teacher. 

As we congratulate the recipients, I wish to acknowledge the collective academic and intellectual accomplishment across the School in a given year. True achievement—whether in the classroom, on the field, on the stage, or in the community —is a collaborative effort. Every student has individual triumphs, and every student contributes to making Hotchkiss a learning community with a shared commitment to excellence. 

Congratulations to all who have been recognized here. We take pride in your achievement and wish you continued success.

All good wishes,
Craig W. Bradley
 

FOR EXCELLENCE IN VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS:

Music

From left to right: Clara Ma, Noam Ginsparg, Angela Choi

Prep Music Prize: Clara Ma '23
Lower-Mid Music Prize: Noam Ginsparg '22
Upper-Mid Music Prize: Angela Choi '21
The recipients of this year’s music prize have made significant contributions to the music program both on and off stage. Their performances have impressed audiences in Elfers Hall, and across the United States, Europe, and Asia. They have won prizes in national and international competitions. In addition to their great success on stage, which comes from a combination of talent and hard work, they serve as great ambassadors of music at Hotchkiss, fulfilling their important leadership roles in various musical ensembles and initiatives around campus with great enthusiasm, warmth, and dedication.

Studio Art

From left to right: James Yae, Keyu (Stella) Ren, Olya Sukonrat, Nicole Morikawa, Grace Li

Ceramics: James Yae '23
Lower-Mid Humanities Visual Art: Keyu (Stella) Ren '22 
Studio Art Portfolio Prize: Olya Sukonrat '21
Studio Art Portfolio Prize: Nicole Morikawa '21
Architecture Prize: Grace Li '21
These studio art recipients embody the essential qualities of art research and studio practice. They are self-directed in their pursuit of inventive image and object making while embracing a passion for process and conceptual development. Their personal vision and commitment to making work inspired by ideas of consequence brings distinction to our program and community.

Theatre

Mehar Bhasin

The Russell A. Edwards Prize: Mehar Bhasin '23
The Russell A. Edwards Prize is awarded to that student who shows outstanding work in their first year of participation with the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association. Whether on or off stage last year, Mehar Bhasin embodied the values of hard work, creativity, and teamwork that is necessary for every theatre ensemble and production to have.

Photography, Film, and Related Media

From left to right: Maddie Lykouretzos, Ishaar Rosa, Luke Gardiner

Prep Photo Prize: Maddie Lykouretzos '23
Lower-Mid Photo Prize:  Izhaar Rosa '22
Upper-Mid Photo/Film Prize:  Luke Gardiner '21
The prize winners in photography, film, and related media have many noteworthy attributes. Their commitment to artistic process is key to a deeper understanding of the world around them. They experiment, explore, and reflect on their work, and the works of others. Their generous spirit, aptitude, and facility for the discipline coupled with their openness to taking risks is why they have been awarded these prizes.
 

FOR EXCELLENCE IN CLASSICAL AND MODERN LANGUAGES:

Latin

Celina Wang

The Richard Bacon Latin Prize: Celina Wang '23
"Latin I requires students to master a great deal of new material, details about case, tense, mood and construction, in addition to mountains of vocabulary. It also asks students to have some imagination, to allow Latin sentences to be Latin and not strange reorganizations of English. This balance between structure and imagination can make Latin I a disorienting and challenging course. Because Celina Wang demonstrated this balance, and helped her classmates and teacher understand more clearly along the way, she is awarded the Prep Latin Prize." -- David Conti, Instructor in Classics
 

Elizabeth Oliver

Lower-Mid Latin Prize: Elizabeth Oliver '22
"Latin 380 is an important step in the evolution of a classicist, as the class demands that a student begin to consider the style, rhetoric, and cultural significance of the texts to a much greater degree. Elizabeth Oliver came into 380 with an outstanding knowledge of Latin grammar, but she had to work very hard to gain understanding of the text beyond the Latin; and work hard she did. Elizabeth grew mightily in her critical reading skills, and for her hard work and growth as a student she richly deserves the Lower-Mid Latin Prize." -- Doug Kneeland '98, Classics Program Coordinator and Instructor in Classics

Michael Zhang

Upper-Mid Latin Prize: Michael Zhang '21
"AP Latin challenges students to develop a diverse understanding of the Roman World, from the politics and military tactics of Caesar’s Gallic Wars to the poetics and imperial propaganda of Vergil’s Aeneid. Seeing the interconnectedness of these themes, how conquest and the druids and a mythological sense of national identity find expression in a poem or a battle description requires imagination. It also requires a willingness to embrace the language and think carefully about what is being said and how it’s being said.  For his success doing this in AP Latin, Michael Zhang is awarded the Upper-Mid Latin Prize." -- David Conti, Instructor in Classics

Ancient Greek

Elizabeth Oliver

Lower-Mid Greek Prize: Elizabeth Oliver '22
"It is unusual for an underclass student to take on the rigors of Greek 180. Not only does the class entail a massive amount of memorization, but a student needs a very strong base in Latin in order to understand the grammatical constructions quickly. Elizabeth Oliver took on this challenge, and she proved to have both an impressive capacity for memorization and a tremendous work ethic. For those qualities and for the success that she achieved in Greek 180, Elizabeth is most deserving of the Lower-Mid Greek Prize." -- Doug Kneeland '98, Classics Program Coordinator and Instructor in Classics
 

Sarah Moorman

Upper-Mid Greek Prize: Sarah Moorman '21
"Greek 180 is an intensive class which moves quickly through the entirety of ancient Greek grammar. To succeed, a student must be able to process large quantities of information, memorize that information, and apply it to texts. Sarah Moorman proved herself both adept and eager to undertake these challenges, and she demonstrated laudable mastery of the material. Moreover, Sarah's work ethic never flagged, and she worked diligently and honorably throughout the year. For all these reasons, Sarah is eminently deserving of the Upper-Mid Greek Prize." -- Doug Kneeland '98, Classics Program Coordinator and Instructor in Classics

Chinese

Marston Lufkin

Prep Chinese Prize: Marston Lufkin '23
"Enrolled in Chinese 250 last year, Marston displayed not only natural talent for Chinese language learning, but also extreme diligence and as he worked towards constant improvement. In all aspects of his classroom work, including on essays, tests, presentations, and his Chinese project, Marston performed almost perfectly. This is a tremendous achievement for students at the 250 level. Marston also attended weekly Chinese speaking sessions with his Chinese teacher and engaged with students from China for friendly chats and Chinese language practice. This has been of great help to his Chinese! We are thrilled to award him the 'prep pursuit of perfection' prize for his great efforts." --Liu Wei, Instructor in Chinese
 

Brendon Stallaert

Lower-Mid Chinese Prize: Brendon Stallaert '22
"As a lower mid in Chinese 550, Brendon made outstanding contributions to our class. His video projects and writing practices reflected his language control and nuanced thinking. A resilient and flexible learner, Brendon earned a bump in his grade when the vast majority of his classmates were challenged by the online course. He is also dedicated to utilizing his language skills to discover a broader range of Chinese culture, especially culinary history and practice. Brendon is a Chinese student of tremendous promise and we are pleased to award him the Lower-Mid Chinese Prize." --Lei Pan, Chinese Program Coordinator and Instructor in Chinese

Oliver Hurwitz

Upper-Mid Chinese Prize: Oliver Hurwitz '21
"Oliver has loved learning Chinese and discovering Chinese culture from an early age. He sets consistently high standards for himself and demonstrates the work ethic necessary to achieve his personal Chinese language proficiency goals. It is a great pleasure for us to teach a student who is motivated to learn about language in conjunction with a deep commitment to understanding culture. Oliver’s dedication makes him a role model for the current and future students in our language programs. It is our pleasure to award him the Upper-Mid Chinese prize." --Liu Wei, Instructor in Chinese

French

Jacqueline Wang

Prep French Prize: Jacqueline Wang '23
"Jacqueline brings curiosity, energy, and a positive attitude to all that she does as a language learner. Her ability to listen actively in class and then to apply all that she observes aloud and in writing serves as a model for her classmates. Jacqueline’s participation and projects in French 150 showcased her creativity, her attention to detail and her overall natural flair for French, all of which has earned her the Prep French Prize." --Sarinda Parsons Wilson, The Bigelow Chair for Advanced French, French Program Coordinator, and Instructor in French

Nathan Brockington

Lower-Mid French Prize: Nathan Brockington '22
"Nate brought a strong foundation in French, exceptional organization and a terrific attitude of attentive engagement, and a disciplined but relaxed curiosity with him to every day of class in French 470. His spoken French is natural and fluid, and he writes with clarity, grammatical accuracy, and a register of formality or informality that is appropriate to the context. Nate efficiently and seamlessly wove new vocabulary and recently reviewed grammatical structures into his written work and spoken French. He is highly deserving of the Lower-Mid French Prize." -- Wendy Levithan, The Edgar Cullman '36 Teaching Chair, Head of the Classical & Modern Languages Department, and Instructor in French

Amelia Popp

Upper-Mid French Prize: Amelia Popp '21
"Amelia is an attentive, patient, and perceptive reader who connects the text before her to what she has read before. She works with confidence and dedication, connecting details to the big picture, and she contributes an energy to class discussion that is at once generous and perceptive. Her essays, projects and class participation in French 540, both in person or during remote learning, earned her the upper-mid prize in French." --Sarinda Parsons Wilson, The Bigelow Chair for Advanced French, French Program Coordinator, and Instructor in French

German

Siri Nellutla

Prep German Prize: Siri Nellutla '23
"Siri is an academically motivated student of German who made it her goal to develop a strong foundation and facility with the German language. She made great strides toward accomplishing her goal with her fine work in German 180. Moreover, Siri’s classmates could count on her to offer a perfect response whenever they needed someone to break the ice and get their language flowing." --Marc Dittmer, German Program Coordinator and Instructor in German

Noam Ginsparg

Lower-Mid German Prize: Noam Ginsparg '22
"As the only lower mid in German 490, Noam was already ahead of the pack; no student was as precise or as "As the only lower mid in German 490, Noam was already ahead of the pack; no student was as precise or as eager to speak German at every opportunity. His enthusiasm for and dedicated study of the German language have earned my respect for Noam as a young scholar who will continue to press forward and achieve at the highest levels in this course of study." --Marc Dittmer, German Program Coordinator and Instructor in German

Clara Preisig

Upper-Mid German Prize: Clara Preisig '21
"Clara has been as steady a student of German as I have had in my years at Hotchkiss. Her tenacity and willingness to keep working away at a language and literature that are not always easy is impressive. The reward for her hard work and willingness to fight through challenges is that Clara has emerged at the top and is a worthy recipient of this prize." --Marc Dittmer, German Program Coordinator and Instructor in German

Spanish

James Yae

Prep Spanish Award: James Yae '23
"James Yae was enrolled in Spanish 150 last year. From day one, James worked very hard and put 100% effort into his assignments and performance in class. He was always eager to share his knowledge with the class and help his classmates better understand the subject matter. Always a pleasure to have in class, James kept us all sane through the spring with his great sense of humor and his enthusiastic take on life. For his performance and promise in his first year of the language, James Yae has earned the Prep Spanish Prize." --Ana Hermoso, The Audrey Meyer Mars Teaching Chair, Spanish Program Coordinator, and Instructor in Spanish

Beatrice Conti

Lower-Mid Spanish Prize: Beatrice Conti '22
"Beatrice was a stand-out student in AP Spanish Language and Culture. Her curiosity, engagement, and desire to improve her skills were evident in all that she did last year. Despite being one of just three lower-mid students in a class of mostly upper mids and seniors, Beatrice always engaged actively with her peers and did not shy away from contributing her ideas to class discussions, helping her to hone her speaking skills throughout the year. In particular, her thoughtful cultural comparisons and familiarity with giving short, extemporaneous presentations for debate allowed her to excel with presentational speaking activities. For all these reasons, Beatrice is the Spanish lower-mid prize recipient." --Kristin Glasheen, Instructor in Spanish

Annabel Wallace

Upper-Mid Spanish Prize: Annabel Wallace '21
"Annabel excelled in all aspects of Spanish 550 (AP Spanish Literature and Culture) last year. Her Spanish was not only accurate; it was elegant. She had a very mature and keen sense of literature, and her ability to synthesize and analyze was at times extraordinary. Annabel enjoyed reading all the works and as a result, she acquired a very solid foundation in Spanish literature. It is our pleasure to award the Upper-Mid Spanish Prize to such a worthy recipient." --Ana Hermoso, The Audrey Meyer Mars Teaching Chair, Spanish Program Coordinator, and Instructor in Spanish

FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGLISH:

Alexander Cheng

Prep English Prize: Alexander Cheng '23
"Alex has been diligent, thoughtful, and conscientious in class. He is always willing to share his ideas with his peers, but he also creates space for others and asks questions of his classmates to get them involved. Alex frequently reaches out to discuss his writing assignments. Alex has proven himself to be a strong writer throughout the year. His Lord of the Flies paragraph was well organized with a strong claim. Alex, it has been such a pleasure teaching you this year, and I am sure that your intellectual curiosity and evident joy in learning will continue to impress your teachers at Hotchkiss." --Ashley Suan, Teaching Fellow in English

Hannah Goldberg

Lower-Mid Humanities English Prize: Hannah Goldberg '22
“Hannah simply forged a standout path in English 250, raising the level of discussion amongst her classmates each day. She has an uncanny ability to focus on a particular detail in a text, to turn it over, to pursue it, and to draw out, as if by magic, a series of conclusions that map onto the larger themes of the work in illuminating ways. Indeed, her essay on the fungibility of time in The Great Gatsby taught me some new approaches to a familiar text, and I am grateful to have had her originality, enthusiasm, and curiosity in my classroom last year.” -- Kathryn Fleishman, Instructor in English

Olya Sukonrat

Upper-Mid English Prize: Olya Sukonrat '21
“Olya has grown into a dynamic, even masterful reader; she has an eye for the smallest details, which she weaves together into complex, patterned observations about the philosophical and aesthetic ideals that underlie great books. She has a particular knack for getting inside the heads of characters: bringing them into new life through her writing, sussing out and shining a light on their deepest motivations, illuminating their shared humanity. Reading her writing, I have often had the sense that she has as much to teach me as I do her.” -- Jeffrey Blevins, Instructor in English

FOR EXCELLENCE IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES:

Mingxian (Felix) Bao

The Parsons History Prize: Mingxian (Felix) Bao '21
“In a motivated and engaged class, Felix stood out for his genuine intellectual curiosity and willingness to dig deep into the history we studied. From mock trials to historical simulations, Felix endeavored to understand his role fully while acting as a collaborative spark plug for the rest of the class.  An outstanding writer and thinker, Felix is well-deserving of the Parsons Prize.” --Michael Eckert, Class of 1964 Teaching Chair, Director of the Class of 1964 Teaching and Learning Center, and Instructor in History

FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE:

Jacqueline Wang

Prep Math Prize: Jacqueline Wang '23
“It is clear that Jacqueline enjoys mathematics. She is the type of student that takes initiative by learning new topics on her own, but always remains humble and gracious with her peers. She has exceptional  gifts as a math student, but pairs those gifts with hard work and determination. Jacqueline really cares about the success of her peers and I commend her on her kindness and patience.” --Marta Eso, Instructor in Mathematics

Annie Xu

Lower-Mid Math Prize: Annie Xu '22
“Annie had a tremendously successful year in her math class last year. She is naturally gifted, a hard worker and a quiet leader. Despite an incredible ability in the math classroom, Annie is humble and a team player. Her natural love of mathematics shines through to both her teachers and her classmates.” --Letty Roberts, The George & Jodie Stone Teaching Chair and Instructor in Mathematics

Reece Yang

Stephen T. Bolmer Math Prize: Reece Yang '21
“I commend Reece on his great talent and ability to adjust to a new level of rigor and abstraction last year while taking his Topics in Mathematics class. Reece was a younger student surrounded by capable mathematicians. Yet, he excelled and pushed himself all year. Reece proved to be a hard worker and took every opportunity to push his learning to the next level.” --Matthias Weiss, Instructor in Mathematics

Kush Banker

Computer Science Prize: Kush Banker '21
“Kush is a self-motivated and organized student. He has a natural way of attacking problems and can usually come up with multiple ways to solve a problem. But perhaps more importantly, Kush proved to be a patient and thoughtful collaborator with his classmates. Kush’s positive mindset and work ethic allowed him to excel and surpass the high standards of his AP Computer Science class.” --Matthijs van Mierlo, Teaching Fellow in Mathematics & Computer Science 

FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE:

From left to right: Alexander Cheng, Jacqueline Wang

Science Core Prize: Alexander Cheng '23 and Jacqueline Wang '23
“Alex has gone above and beyond this year! He is dedicated not only to doing his best work each and every day by tackling every assignment with care and precision, but also to lending a helping hand to his classmates when needed. Alex’s passion for science extends outside of the classroom as he goes in search of entertaining, but incredibly relevant, YouTube videos to share. Alex has demonstrated excellent critical thinking skills, inspiring his classmates to think outside the box in class discussions. He is a true leader, both in and out of the classroom. As with any great leader, Alex has no qualms with taking the backseat from time to time to allow his peers the opportunity to shine as well. Congratulations, Alex!” --Jennifer Hatch, Instructor in Physics

“That Jacqueline received this award is entirely apropos! She has been brilliant all year. Her work on every assignment, whether it is homework, labs or assessments, has been meticulous. I am particularly impressed with her explanations both on written assignments as well as when she is answering questions in class. In advanced courses, great emphasis and significance is placed on justifying one’s answers. This is where Jacqueline shines. I have no doubt that she would be a wonderful teacher if she were to go into education. Furthermore, Jacqueline is a great lab partner.  Although she is a leader in lab groups, she is also a patient collaborator with her peers, quietly directing and explaining the more difficult concepts.  Well done, Jackie!” --Michael Hickey, Instructor in Physics

Ashley Williams

Upper-Mid Science Prize: Ashley Williams '21
“Ashley is a versatile thinker who has excelled in all the science disciplines combined. She brings an awareness of the scientific progress occurring outside of the realms of the classroom, recognizing the achievements of scientists past and present. With a penchant for laughter, she dedicates herself to tackling difficult technical problems and making sense of the everyday world through a pragmatic, knowledge-centered lens.” --Susan Park, Instructor in Biology

Mingxian (Felix) Bao

The Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award: Mingxian (Felix) Bao '21
Awarded by the University of Rochester to those juniors across the nation who have demonstrated achievement and rigor in science and math, and have made positive contributions to the School community. Award winners have their admission fee waived and are eligible for a $7,500/year merit scholarship, up to $30,000 over four years. 

“The Science Department is incredibly proud to recognize Felix's achievements across a wide range of science courses at Hotchkiss. He is a leader in the classroom, always ready to help a classmate, and has displayed a mastery of the science curriculum. Well done, Felix!” --Eileen Sullivan, Head of the Science Department and Instructor in Chemistry

 

FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE:

Cum Laude

Form left to right: Kush Banker, Mingyu (Tina) Deng, Caroline Keswin, Sydney Kosoy, Sarah Moorman, Annabel Wallace, Xiaoyu (Claire) Wang

“Cum Laude” means with praise or with commendation. The Cum Laude Society is a national entity founded in 1903 to honor those students across the nation who distinguish themselves academically. Hotchkiss has been an active member since the early 1930s. For many years, Hotchkiss has honored those seniors who graduate in the top 20% of their class by inducting them into the Cum Laude Society. In addition to the seniors who are inducted in the spring, the national regulations allow students who have achieved exceptionally high academic standing in their tenth and eleventh grade years (i.e. standing in the top 5% of the class) and who have been exemplary citizens to become members.
 
To so distinguish oneself amongst such talented peers is certainly an accomplishment worth recognizing. Eight members of the Class of 2021 were recently inducted into the Cum Laude Society:

Kush Banker '21
Mingyu (Tina) Deng '21
Caroline Keswin '21 
Sydney Kosoy 21
Sarah Moorman '21
Annabel Wallace '21
Xiaoyu (Claire) Wang '21

Top Scholar Prize

Form left to right: Mingxian (Felix) Bao, Hongrui (Jerry) Qiao, Alexander Cheng, Jacqueline Wang

Top Scholar for last year's Upper-Mid Class; Mingxian (Felix) Bao '21
Top Scholar for last year's Lower-Mid Class: Hongrui (Jerry) Qiao '22
Top Scholars for last year's Prep Class: Alexander Cheng '23 and Jacqueline Wang '23
 
This group of young scholars represents a tremendous amount of talent, curiosity, and hard work. We must all aspire to stretch our minds and work to discover our own strengths and possibilities. Congratulations to every one of you.