Prize Day Hall Honors Students and Departing Colleagues
On June 1, the Class of 2023 took their rightful seats at the front of Hall for the last time this school year. During the traditional and festive Prize Day Hall—which honors a range of prize-winning students and serves to wish ave atque vale to the year’s departing faculty and staff—songs such as Jerusalem and The Founder’s Song reverberated around Rousmaniere Hall. The annual Prize Day Hall is the formal conclusion of the school year for students in Class VI through Class II, during which an impressive roster of prize-winners—honored for academic, athletic, artistic, and extracurricular achievements—earn their plaudits.
As Headmaster Kerry Brennan began, “Our purpose for gathering today is to recognize discernible excellence in all areas of school life—academic and extracurricular. In singling out certain prize winners, we are intending to affirm the highest standards of schoolboy endeavor. We do this even though we know that others in your seats may be more deserving of congratulations, for they have struggled mightily, come far, taken risks, and been honorable boys. To you goes the faculty’s admiration and congratulations.” While some of the major Class I awards were announced at the concluding Closing Exercises, this year’s prize winners are as follows:
Major athletic awards to Class I:
Independent School League: Aidan Gibbons
Sportsmanship: Patrick Schultz
Scholar-Athlete: Arjun Bose
Best Athlete: Kofi Fordjour
Varsity athletic awards to Class I:
Soccer: Adam Kuechler
Lacrosse: Riley Stanton
Hockey: Will Matthews
Tennis: Akshay Kumar
Football: TK Ghapontsang
Basketball: Harry Brennan
Track & Field: Kofi Fordjour
Cross Country: Kofi Fordjour
Wrestling: Thomas Savage
Baseball: Antonio Morales
Major book awards to boys in Class II:
Holy Cross Book Award: Evan Zhang
Brown University Book Award: Lucas Vander Elst
Dartmouth Book Award: Ryan Lin
Harvard Book Prize: Akhilsai Damera
Academic awards:
The Joseph A. Sasserno French Deturs: Eric Archerman (V), Luca Bene (IV), Omar Rahman (III), Lucas Vander Elst (II), Justin Shaw (I)
Headmaster’s Spanish Deturs: Andrew Plante (V), Oliver Colbert (IV), Brendan Reichard (III), Jack Tompros (II), Bobby Zabin (I)
The Isabel M. Fowler History Prizes: Caden Crowley (VI), Liam Walsh (IV), Zach Heaton (III), Dror Ko (II), Thomas Savage (I)
The Richard M. Whitney Science Deturs: Liam Guadagno (VI), Toby Harrison (V), Raj Saha (III), Evan Zhang (II)
The N. Henry Black Science Detur: Justin Shaw (I)
The Donald L. Whittle Math Deturs: Lucas Dolan (VI), Casey Chiang (V), Dylan Pan (IV), Nathan Zhang (III), Akhilsai Damera (II)
The Islay F. McCormick Mathematics Prize: Akshay Kumar (I)
The Anna Cabot Lowell Deturs in English: Nayan Patel (VI), Flynn Hall (V), Avish Kumar (IV), Levi Harrison (III), Joseph Wang (II), Michael Thomas (I)
The Trustees’ Greek Deturs: Lucas Connors (III), Ezra Liebowitz (II), Evren Uluer (I)
The Anna Cabot Lowell Deturs in Latin: Joseph Raposo (VI), Casey Chiang (V), Thomas Pogorelec (IV), Alex Giordano (III), Dennis Jin (II), James McCurley (I)
Extra-curricular awards:
Lower School Latin Declamation Prize: Nick Glaeser (IV)
Upper School Latin Declamation Prize: Akhilsai Damera (II)
Greek Declamation Prize: Caleb Ganthier (III)
The Cameron A. Rylance Music Prize: Tommy Reichard (I)
The Ralph F.F. Brooks Art Prize: Bobby Zabin (I)
The Joan M. Regan Service Prize: Alexander Sanzone (I)
The Class of 1976 Dramatics Prize: John Austin (I)
The Gerhard Rehder Prize in International Relations: Ethan Dhadly (I)
The Albert W. Kelsey Debate Prize: Jamie Drachman (I)
The Publications Award: Owen Butler (I)
That morning, Roxbury Latin also bid farewell to five beloved members of the faculty and staff who have served a collective 79 years: Associate Headmaster Mike Pojman, Director of Development Tobey O’Brien, Director of Dramatics Derek Nelson, Network Technology Coordinator Myron McLaren, and Penn Fellow Taylor Fitzgerald.