SA Inducts New Members Into the Cum Laude Society

Thirteen members of Sewickley Academy’s senior class, who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship during their junior and senior years were honored with membership to the Cum Laude Society. Head of Senior School Dr. Peter Lau introduced the 2017 inductees: Lakshmi Amin, Christopher Gonzalez, Jr., Isabel Joseph, Tessa Lisanti, Katherine Malus, Benjamin Mulholland, Alexandra Oh, Priya Rajawat, Jason Rampelt, Neil Rana, Millen Schuchert, Ain Shajihan, and Natalie Wei. Each inductee was presented a floral arrangement.

Sewickley Academy elects members for the Society each year. According to guidelines of the national organization, the Academy may elect to membership no more than 20 percent of the senior class who have demonstrated academic excellence in the college preparatory curriculum.

The Cum Laude Society is a national organization established in 1906 to recognize and encourage true scholarship and academic achievement among students in secondary schools. Modeled on Phi Beta Kappa for colleges, the society now has 324 chapters in the nation with 297 of those in independent schools. Sewickley Academy is one of only 19 schools in Pennsylvania that are members of the society.

In addition, as its own chapter, Sewickley Academy has its own set of guidelines to promote learning and sound scholarship and to recognize the academic achievement of outstanding students and faculty. To be considered for Cum Laude membership, a student must present an honor record in the junior and senior years. In addition, students must achieve consistently good grades in both effort and citizenship during the same two years. Members expect a student to take the strongest possible program consistent with the student's scholastic background, ability level, and academic interests.