Cum Laude Society Welcomes Class of 2026 Inductees

On April 12, 37 members of the Class of 2026 were inducted into the Northfield Mount Hermon Chapter of the Cum Laude Society, adding their names to a legacy of intellectual curiosity and academic excellence.

The seniors were honored in a ceremony in Memorial Chapel, surrounded by family and friends, that included remarks from faculty members and a dessert reception at Ford Cottage afterwards.

The Cum Laude Society serves as the academic honor society for independent schools and is the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. Since the creation of the NMH chapter in 1929, a faculty committee has elected members of the graduating class for induction into the society based on their academic record and their embodiment of the society's guiding principles: areté (excellence), diké (justice), and timé (honor).

This year's ceremony began with a welcome from Joe Latimer, director of college counseling and president of the NMH chapter, who explained the importance of each guiding principle in shaping a well-rounded approach to academics and life.

"This ceremony is our way of honoring you for your outstanding effort and academic achievement at Northfield Mount Hermon," Latimer said. "We know you will continue to bring credit to yourselves and to NMH, wherever life takes you in years to come."

Bea Garcia, the assistant head of school for academic programs and dean of faculty, drew parallels between the Cum Laude Society's ethos and NMH's mission to educate the head, heart, and hands. She encouraged the students to consider their induction into Cum Laude as a foundation on which to build their intellectual curiosity and "a compass to the road ahead.

"Use your gifts to be productive; continue to pursue learning for the clarity and the perception it provides," said Garcia. "Most of all, hold on to the joy of learning as a lifelong endeavor, one that invites you to remain as curious tomorrow as you are today."

This year's keynote speaker, Cum Laude Secretary and English teacher Dr. Michael Clarke, asked students to consider what being inducted into Cum Laude meant to them on a personal level. He shared his interpretation of membership in the society as "a reminder of the value of well-rounded academic engagement.

"As you progress in your education and your future careers, you will face increasing pressure to specialize in college,” said Clarke. “You'll be encouraged to choose a major, and some advisors will discourage you from enrolling in courses that don't contribute directly to your course of study. After college, you can dedicate yourself to a specific career path, and you will never be required to read or study anything outside your discipline again.

"When you reach those decision points, I hope that you will remember that you are Cum Laude students and that you are grounded in a well-rounded education," he continued. "I hope that you will explore new interests, pursue new opportunities, and continue to broaden your world."

Following Clarke's address, students were called by name to step forward, sign the Cum Laude Society registry, receive their membership certificates and pins, and take a photo with Head of School Brian Hargrove.

The Class of 2026 inductees to the NMH Chapter of the Cum Laude Society are:

• Alexander (Alex) Baron
• Talia Baron
• Gerard Porter Beaule
• Luca Bilotto
• Allen Chen
• Yu-Chun (Kimberly) Chen
• Julia Cosentino
• Joseph (Mac) Hargrove
• Spencer Hirschey
• Grace Huang
• Isabel Hunt
• Eliza Jessen
• Anna Kalynchuk
• Hisu Kang
• Sopriye (Sopi) Koko
• Eliza Krotinger
• Rene Krytinar
• Anna Lazorina
• Gia Bao Le
• Ahnkai Liebert
• Jiarui (Cherry) Liu
• Bryanna May
• Lang (Miller) Ming
• George Ning
• Artiom Peshkur
• Wilder Pritham
• Dallena Shelton
• Tianxin (Aurora) Song
• Yuhan (Emily) Sun
• Minxian (Michelle) Tang
• Zoe Wallace
• Serafina Wilson
• Siri (Liv) Wooten-Forman
• Se Ryoung (Olivia) Yim
• Elijah (Eli) Youmans
• Jichu (Selina) Zha
• Jingxuan (Eric) Zhou

Several students took a moment to reflect on Clarke's words after the ceremony.

Allen Chen said he was still considering the personal significance of being a Cum Laude member but noted the numerous doors NMH has opened for him. "It's really life changing, the opportunities that have been given to me. I'm extremely grateful for that."

Talia Baron said Clarke’s speech helped her reframe her own academic journey. "I feel like I'm someone who's good at a lot of things but doesn't really have a specific 'thing,'” Baron said. “What [Dr. Clarke] said about generalism and being good across multiple disciplines — I think I'll take that as my 'thing' moving forward."

Aurora Song echoed that sentiment. Being selected for Cum Laude is "a validation of you as a person as a whole, not just as an academic, but how you treat life, the other people around you, and continue to bring a positive energy to your community."

"I have learned so much and made so many connections while at NMH,” Song added. “I think it is a very unique experience, especially as an international student, that you wouldn't be able to find in many other places. That's what I love about it."

— Max Hunt

Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh. See more scenes from the 2026 Cum Laude Society Induction Ceremony on Flickr.