The Belfry - Graduation 2019

The Belfry Graduation Issue Norfolk Academy • 1585 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, Virginia • 2019 Edition

Brammy Rajakumar

Marissa Mejia

After several days of festivities honoring the senior class of Norfolk Academy, the Class of 2019 graduated today. On Thursday, May 30th, parents and members of the senior class attended Vespers, rehearsal for graduation, and a dinner afterwards.

Commencement began at 3:00 pm on May 31 with Kedar Johnson-Smith and Paris Bredehoft, recently elected President of the Tunstall Student Council and President of next year’s senior class, leading the procession. Headmaster Dennis Manning gave the invocation and then welcomed parents and guests.

Mr. Manning then introduced Brammy Rajakumar, who delivered the first valedictory address. James Hood delivered the second valedictory address.

Mr. Manning presented the Waitzer Master Teacher Awards and the James B. Massey Awards to recognize dedication and professionalism among the faculty.

Mrs. Linda Gorsline, Associate Head and Director of the Upper School, joined Mr. Manning for the presentation of the awards.

Brammy Rajakumar and James Hood accepted awards as the girl and boy with the highest scholastic averages. Brammy received the High Honors Award, and James received the John H. Ingram Memorial Award.

The Bible Award, which honors the spiritual principles inculcated into the environment of Norfolk Academy by James B. Massey, Jr., also went to Brammy Rajakumar and James Hood.

The Irving Sarlin Salutatorian Award was presented to Marissa Mejia as the senior who has maintained the second-highest scholastic average during the past four years.

Faculty Awards

Elle Lambert

Emme Pike

Marissa Mejia received the Virginia Ellis Talbot Award, honoring the senior girl who has demonstrated the highest degree of leadership based upon the influence of character.

As the senior boy who has rendered to the Academy the highest service through leadership based upon the influence of character, James Hood received the S. Barron Segar Award.

The Alexander G. Kiehl Award recognizes the student who exemplifies a superior degree of devotion and commitment to the unselfish pursuit of excellence in academics and athletics. Michael Wakeham received the award this year.

The Country Day School for Girls Award honors the senior girl who exemplifies a superior degree of devotion and commitment to the unselfish pursuit of excellence in academics and athletics. Elle Lambert received the award this year.

The Robert Gatewood Fellowship Award and the Ann Carroll Breeden Fellowship Award honor the senior boy and girl whose high degree of good fellowship and whose completeness as human beings bring them credit in all walks of life: academic, athletic, artistic, and social. John Leo Luecke received the Gatewood Award. Emme Pike received the Breeden Award.

James Hood

Michael Wakeham

John Leo Luecke

Faculty Awards, continued Sydney LeGuillow received the Sally Taliaferro Driver Award, given annually to a senior girl who throughout her career at Norfolk Academy has consistently and without public recognition, exhibited school spirit, loyalty, friendliness, kindness, liveliness, and enthusiasm.

Lorenzo Thompson received the Thomas Cornick Rixey Award, given to a senior boy who throughout his career at Norfolk Academy has consistently exhibited a high degree of good Sydney LeGuillow sportsmanship, loyalty, friendliness, kindness, and determination.

Daniel Moscoso received the Charles Forsyth Wirth Award, given to a senior boy who throughout his career at Norfolk Academy has consistently exhibited honor, loyalty, friendliness, kindness, liveliness, enthusiasm, and has conducted himself as a gentleman.

Brammy Rajakumar received the David Ari Leavitt Award, given to the junior or senior who has pursued some artistic, literary, intellectual, or public-spirited endeavor with an exceptional degree of originality and humanitarian concern.

Solomon Duane won the Thomas McEntee Martin Award, in Daniel Moscoso recognition of initiative, originality, and creative ability.

The John Connor Community Service Award, given to an Upper School student who has contributed unselfishly to the Norfolk Academy community and the greater Hampton Roads area, went to Peyton Tysinger.

The Royce E. Jones Award was given in memory of Royce Jones, Director of Athletics, teacher, and football coach from 1961-1979, to David Byler, the senior athlete whose spirit of determination, commitment to high standards, sense of humor, and positive self-image exemplify excellence within the school community.

The Kathleen Murray Gibson Award, given to a Tunstall senior Peyton Tysinger who has made outstanding contributions to student publications at Norfolk Academy, was presented to Madeleine Munn.

The DeShannon Artemis Taylor Award, given to a member of the senior class who has exhibited with enthusiasm and dedication a true love for both learning and athletic competition, went to Ray Fitzgerald.

Scholastic Awards

Madeleine Munn

Connor Holland

The History Department gives two awards for excellence in the study of history. The outstanding senior girl in this discipline, Elle Lambert, received the Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Miles Jr. Award.

Daniel Moscoso received the William Selden Memorial Award.

Connor Holland won the W. Peyton May Award recognizing the outstanding student in economics.

The Minnie Roth Campbell Award, given to a senior girl for excellence in original writing, went to Emme Pike.

Marissa Mejia received the Simcoe and Celia Glasser Award, given to an Upper School student for excellence in the writing of poetry.

Two seniors were recognized for excellence in the study of English. James Hood accepted the William Henry Thompson Loyall Memorial Award, and Madeleine Munn accepted the Robert D. Anthony Award.

The Arthur A. MacConochie Award, given to a senior boy for excellence in original writing, went to Jack Limroth.

Lorenzo Thompson

Solomon Duane

David Byler

Ray Fitzgerald

Jack Limroth

Scholastic Awards, cont.

Seth Lucas

Alastair Sterns

Jenna Archambeau

Tyson Wittmann

In honor of master teacher and writer Robert S. Sergeant, the English Department gave the Robert Stewart Sergeant Memorial Writing Scholarship to Solomon Duane as the most accomplished writer in the senior class.

The Foreign Language Department gave the following awards.

The Calvert Rogers Dey Memorial Award, honoring a boy who excels in the study of a modern foreign language, went to Seth Lucas. Jenna Lancey received the George Newton Award, honoring a senior girl for excellence in the study of a modern foreign language.

For excellence in the study of Latin, Alastair Sterns accepted the Robert W. Tunstall Memorial Award, and Judith-Renee Herman received the Elizabeth Porter Bennett Award.

The Traylor Cozart Nunnally German Awards, given to fourth-year German students who by hard work and enthusiasm have achieved noteworthy success, were presented to Jenna Archambeau and William Ferguson.

Brammy Rajakumar received the Elizabeth Reynolds Parker Senior Science Award for excellence in science. Tyson Wittmann received the John H. Kepchar Science Award for excellence in science.

Gabrielle Foley received the Victor and Joyce Ratnavale Science Award, given to the student who has shown the greatest enthusiasm for and interest in environmental science or advanced biology.

For excellence in the study of mathematics, the Mary McCulloch Moore Memorial Mathematics Award was presented to Marissa Mejia and the William Wadsworth Dey Memorial Award to Patrick McElroy.

The Art History Award, given to the senior who has demonstrated the highest level of enthusiasm for and excellence in the study of Art History, went to Frances Harrington.

Patrick McElroy

Frances Harrington

Jenna Lancey

Judith-Renee Herman

William Ferguson

Gabrielle Foley

Sarah Herring

Kevin Duan

Anthony Asuncion

Straeten Avery

Fine Arts Awards The Fine Arts Award, given to the student who encouraged and promoted student participation in the arts, went to Sarah Herring.

Maiya Foleck received the Music Award, given to the student in Tunstall whose dedication and demonstrated leadership have contributed most significantly to the enjoyment of choral and ensemble music in the school.

The Music Department awarded the George W. Sergeant Memorial Music Scholarship to Kevin Duan as the most accomplished senior vocalist. Peyton Hope received the Virginia Thomas Bell Award, recognizing her as the senior who has made the greatest achievement in the creative arts.

The Musical Theater Award, given to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, originality, and achievement in the winter musical, went to Patrick McElroy.

The Theater Arts Award, given to recognize a senior who has demonstrated, either on stage or behind the scenes, leadership, artistry, and excellence in the field of theater arts, went to Anthony Asuncion.

The Drama Department awarded the Mary Frances Pitcher Sergeant Memorial Drama Scholarship to Maiya Foleck as the most accomplished actor in the senior class.

Athletic Awards Holley Cromwell accepted the John A. Tucker Award for the senior girl who has made the greatest contribution to the girls’ athletic program.

David Byler received the Jeffrey Ross Kesser Award, given to the senior boy who has made the greatest contribution to the boys’ athletic program.

School Awards Marissa Mejia won the Class of 1952 Award, presented to the senior named by a panel of outside judges to be the outstanding speaker of the senior class.

The Tunstall Student Council recognized the senior boy who although not a member of the Student Council, has exhibited most consistently and to the highest degree good citizenship within the school community. This year’s Robert F. Baldwin Citizenship Award recipient was Lorenzo Thompson.

Awarded by the Tunstall Student Council, the Bernice Bradshaw Lovitt Citizenship Award recognizes the senior girl who has exhibited most consistently and to the highest degree the qualities of good citizenship within the school community. Straeten Avery received the award.

Molly Brown was the recipient of this year’s Edith Pratt Masterson Honor Award, selected by vote of the Honor Council and given to the senior who best exemplifies the Jeffersonian ideals of honor.

Maiya Foleck

Peyton Hope

Holley Cromwell

Molly Brown

Headmaster Awards The headmaster presented awards to Ingrid Benkovitz, Robert Frazier, Kate Furr, Will Klena, Jacob Knapp, Arman Shekarriz, Emma Somers, and Windsor Warlick.

Following the Headmaster Awards, Mr. Tim Stiffler, President of the Board of Trustees, joined Mr. Manning and Mrs. Gorsline for the presentation of diplomas to the Class of 2019.

Ingrid Benkovitz

Kate Furr

Robert Frazier

Will Klena

Jacob Knapp

Emma Somers

Windsor Warlick

Arman Shekarriz