Senior Celebration & Awards
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Photos to the right include the Class of 2026 and award winners. For more photos from our Senior Celebration, click here.
Valedictorian - Will Su
Salutatorian - Kinn Cho
Cum Laude Society - Yujie Su, Ziqiao Geng, Natalie Hung, Emma August, Minkyu Cho, Xinyue Hu, Aiden Miller, Ada Bernard, Eva Castillo, Annalise Denard, Jack King, and Shivani Lingamneni
The Mother Marie Rose Award — Sophia Bendaw
This award embodies the spirit of our foundress, Mother Marie Rose. A woman with a vision, Mother Marie Rose had a commitment to community and serving others with a joyful spirit, a love of learning, and the tenacity to take on a worthy adventure. This award recognizes those who fulfill the St. Mary’s tradition of living what they learn and is known as the Student of the Year.
The Saint Juan Diego Award — Eva Castillo and Gabriella Cooper
A key part of the St. Mary's School community is how we treat others. Juan Diego was the first evangelizer of America and also is revered as an unselfish and compassionate champion of the downtrodden who taught by example. This award recognizes students who are kind and compassionate, even when no one is looking.
The Scholar of the Year Award — Will Su and Natalie Hung
These are the students who are true scholars. They research things for fun, keep up on current events, and look for ways to apply their knowledge in their everyday lives. This award recognizes those whose learning goes far beyond the classroom and assignments and whose curiosity is unbound.
Dorothy Day Award — Esme Medley
Dorothy Day founded the Catholic Worker Movement to serve the poor. She argued for pacifism and encouraged others to live their faith more fully, to minister to the poor, and not to settle too easily into socially comfortable positions. She said, “We are too often trying to be heroic instead of just ordinarily good and kind.” This award recognizes seniors who demonstrate a propensity to utilize their learning to make the world a better place.
The True Grit Award — Cecilia Baida and Aiden Miller
A common trait of those who achieve their goals is the willingness to put in the hard work to attain them. This award recognizes scholars who demonstrate determination and resiliency, as well as going above and beyond expectations to ensure success. Often, you will find these seniors at work behind the scenes at school functions doing whatever needs to be done for a positive outcome.
The Eric DeGraw Award — Jake Eiler and Marren Tignini
Named after a charismatic student from the class of 1993, this award recognizes those seniors who have contributed to the creation of a sense of community at St. Mary's School through their school activities, encouragement, friendliness, and general positive attitude.
The Christ the King Award — Emery Chmelir and Tai Zimmerman
This award recognizes those students who demonstrate the teachings of Christ in their own lives through scholarship, service, and spiritual leadership.
The Pathfinder Award — Meno Kubo and Kinn Cho
In the spirit of the Mars Pathfinder, this award recognizes those seniors who are not only scholars, but also problem solvers who will go far.
The Patrick Naumes Award for Intellectual Curiosity — Josephine Janeway
In memory of longtime faculty member and alumnus Patrick Naumes, we recognize seniors who are inquisitive and curious, and who enjoy a breadth and depth of interests, particularly in the humanities.
The Fine Arts Award — Cheney Lee, Helen Lin, and Gwen Bartow
We honor long-time faculty member Michael Wing with this award, recognizing those students who demonstrate passion for the arts, including visual art, music, and theater.
The Ian Pomeroy Award — Tyler Cabalo and Will Su
This award is in memory of Ian Pomeroy, a gifted programmer in the class of 1995. It recognizes the senior whose work in the field of computing exemplifies Ian’s ideals.
The Carl Gauss Award — Kylah Hu
This award recognizes seniors who show an early affinity and genius in mathematics.
Athletic Director’s Award — Nico Davis
This award recognizes the St. Mary’s student-athlete who best exemplifies the athletic department's values. This recipient has represented St. Mary’s with integrity, sportsmanship, a strong work ethic, and a servant’s heart.
Female Athlete of the Year — Ada Bernard
With this award, the Athletic Department and coaches recognize the most outstanding senior female athlete.
Male Athlete of the Year — Oliver Ford
With this award, the Athletic Department and coaches recognize the most outstanding senior male athlete.
Purple Cord Award for Exemplary Senior Projects — Gwen Bartow, James Beers, Annalise Denard, Cheney Lee, and River King
This award recognizes seniors, as nominated by their Senior Project panel, who gave an exemplary presentation on the meaning of community service, as well as their experiences and reflections on the subject.
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