Prize Day: Recognizing and Celebrating Outstanding Achievement

To begin, several prizes honoring staff and faculty were announced. The Bergen-Decker Award went to Anne Tuomey, director of financial aid. The Mida van Zuylen Dunn Award for Teaching was given to David Runkle and Jeff Baker. Susanna Donahue received the Walter Family Community Award, and the F. Ervin Prince Teaching Chair was awarded to Tim Clark P’29.

 

Following the awards for the professional community, the prizes for students were announced. The Faculty Prize, Rivers’ highest honor, went to Jack Willard ’24. Head of School Ryan Dahlem told the audience that Willard’s years at Rivers have been “distinguished through an intersection of truly exceptional achievement, curiosity, intellect, and humanity.”
   

Other significant prizes for seniors were also announced. The Dudley H. Willis Trustee Prize, awarded to the senior or seniors who have distinguished themself by virtue of their pursuit of excellence, integrity, contributions to the school, and the respect accorded to them by the Rivers community, went to Camille DeStefano and Arianna Martínez Cavero. The Jeremiah J. Sheehan Prize, which recognizes a student who demonstrates “gentility, kindness, and all-around good sportsmanship,” went to Madison Stikeleather ’24. And the Hooper Lawrence Memorial Prize, given each year to a student with “a cheerful disposition, an unselfish nature, and a kind heart,” was awarded to Caleb Lys ’24.

 

The F. Ervin Prince Award recognizes top Middle School students; this year’s recipient was Rachel Bueker ’28.

 

There were also prizes for athletics. Top honors went to Amir Lindsey ’24, who received the James A. Navoni Athletic Prize, and Avery Del Col ’24, recipient of the Priscilla Wallace Strauss Athletic Prize. Julia Ahearn ’24 and Cayden Miceli ’24 won the Independent School League Award of Excellence, and the Senior Award for Exceptional Dedication to Athletics went to Julia Ahearn, Catherine Butler, Sophie Rousell, Griffin Schutte, and Maxwell Stevelman.

Several other students also garnered awards: Cailyn Kim ’25, the Harvard Club Prize; Andrew Ho ’25, the Thomas P. Olverson Prize; Mairin Anderson ’25, the Brown University Alumni Book Award; Caroline Chung ’24 and Mason Klein ’24, the Community Engagement Prize; Esme Anna Asaad ’26, the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Faculty Prize; and Kate Kenworthy ’27 and Braxton Seale ’27, the Kenneth F. Benjamin ’50 Citizenship Award. 

 

Departmental honors were also awarded to graduating seniors: 

Several members of the graduating class were elected to the Cum Laude Society. These students were chosen for their academic performance, course work, and demonstrated intellectual curiosity. Jack Benson, Finn Cahill, Ryan Ferguson, Phoebe Fogel, Keagan Harder, Tyler Karp, Joylyn Kim, Mason Klein, Arianna Martínez Cavero, Alejandra Paéz Peñaloza, Payton Richard, Noah Springhorn, Maddy Stikeleather, Megan Sweatt, Lexi Tower, Ethan Kasparian Weisman, Shelby Whitaker, and Jack Willard. 

The entire community was delighted to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of professional community members and students alike. The day celebrates not just the achievements of the prize recipients but the accomplishments of all members of the community who helped make this school year a successful one. As Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem noted in his opening remarks: “In honoring these individuals, we want to note that all of our students and professional community members make Rivers such an outstanding school. I want to thank and congratulate every one of you for your remarkable contributions.”