The Cum Laude Society Inductees

University School inducted 21 seniors into The Cum Laude Society on Tuesday, April 22. These leaders in academic achievement were introduced by Mr. Garrett, English Department Chair and secretary of the US chapter of the society. Head of School Mr. Patrick Gallagher opened the ceremony and Dr. Mike Smith, Upper School Science Teacher, delivered the keynote address. 

Mr. Garrett welcomed each inductee into the society through artfully compiled personal remarks shared by each student's teachers, coaches, and peers. 

Click here to watch the recording of the induction ceremony.

Cehan Ahmad

Zain Anwar

Connor Barragate

Andrew Beck

Nate Bennett

Theo Dengler

Vishwum Kapadia*

Aidan Krishnaney

Kingsten Lin

Nate Miller

Brad Perry

William Pich

Danny Pikovskiy

Phineas Quigley

Niklas Rietsch

Fletcher Rollinson

Gavin Sheppard

Aryan Singh

Will Stephans

Aaron Velez

Peter Watkins

*Vishwum Kapadia was named Phi Beta Kappa of the Class of 2025. For over seventy-five years, the Cleveland Association of Phi Beta Kappa has sponsored an award to recognize scholastic excellence at the secondary level.  

The assembly opened with the procession of inductees, Head of School Mr. Patrick Gallagher, Mr. Jim Garrett, English Department Chair and secretary of the US chapter of the Cum Laude society and Dr. Mike Smith, Upper School Science Teacher who delivered the keynote address. 

Dr. Smith shared his life's journey to illustrate how the importance of keeping an open mind and being flexible to opportunities that may arise is just as important as being driven and goal-oriented when it comes to creating your own life. He entered the College of Wooster as a Music major, confident and clear in his path of becoming a music teacher and playing trombone in an orchestra. By the time he was a senior, he defended a thesis on the geology of the Las Vegas Valley. By the end of a Master's program at Rice University, he had been on two expeditions to Antarctica. Plus, he had job offers from several universities. Dr. Smith stayed true to his goal of teaching, but found another passion along the way.  

The Cum Laude Society was founded in 1906 with the mission of recognizing academic achievement in secondary schools to promote excellence, justice, and honor. There are over 380 chapters of the society around the country and internationally. Each member school may induct up to ten percent of a class at the end of junior year and ten percent at the end of senior year. University School was the tenth school in the nation to be admitted into the Society, receiving its charter in 1911.