2022 Valedictorian Plans Career in

Lily Stone first told her mother she would attend Cushing Academy when she was in fifth grade. The Westminster native remembers driving by Cushing regularly, especially when bringing her brother to football practice. Her mom humored her saying, “Okay, you can apply, but financially, I don’t know if that’s possible.” When eighth grade rolled around, Lily pushed ahead and applied. When she opened her acceptance letter, what lay before her was like a magic ticket: Lily was named a Watkins Scholar. She had won a full scholarship.

Lily was thrilled, but still had one legitimate concern: “Do I leave all my friends who I have been going to school with since kindergarten?” The question really only lingered for a moment. “It was kind of a no-brainer, just because I wanted the culture and just living with people from around the world,” Lily says.

The Watkins Scholar Program was founded to support “high-achieving students who possess a love of learning, strong leadership skills, and a desire to contribute significantly to Cushing Academy.” Since day one, Lily did just that. She was a four-year, three-season athlete, playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. She served as student body president, soaked up Shakespeare, and dove into science.

“I really discovered my passion for science at Cushing,” says Lily. “I’ve always been a pretty well-rounded student, but I’ve always been way more into history and English. Cushing was really where I started getting more into the sciences, so that was kind of a big discovery.”