“We celebrate scholarship on this campus all the time,” notes Head of School Willy MacMullen, “But this celebration is one of the most important ones.” And not just because Taft’s annual fall celebration of academic excellence honors the deep commitment to learning and exceptional achievement of Taft students, but because it is tangible proof that “hunger for learning endures, even under the most challenging circumstances. Never in the school’s history has the learning process been so challenged, but never has the durability of learning been more affirmed,” says MacMullen.
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year.
The following students were semifinalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program for their outstanding performance last year on the PSAT, finishing in the top 1% of all test takers. They are now eligible to apply to be a National Merit Finalist to win scholarship money. Congratulations to:
Yuk Sum Chan
Alexander Janssen
Julia Kim
Benjamin Chinh Quang Le
Andrew Yang
Eleven Taft students earned commendations from the National Merit Scholarship Program for their outstanding performance last year on the PSAT, finishing in the top 3.3% of all test takers. They are:
Timothy Broadbent
Jack Church
Ethan Lilien
Simon Messineo
Samantha Ouellette
Sheina Patrick
Peter Proscia
Paton Roberts
Phuong Linh Vu
Felicia Xingyue Wang
Laurinda Huining Yang
Cum Laude Society
Founded in 1908, the Cum Laude Society is the national scholarship society in secondary schools, corresponding to Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi in colleges and scientific schools.
A maximum of 20% of the senior class may be elected into membership in the Cum Laude Society. Eighteen members of the Class of 2021 were inducted today, based their academic records for both their middle and upper middle years. They will be joined by an additional group of seniors at commencement in June, and represent the top 9.7% of the class. Congratulations to:
Benas Babenskas
Clara Baurmeister
Alexander Janssen
Sarah Katz
Benjamin Chinh Quang Le
Darren McNerney
Simon Messineo
Pishya Muangman
Sheina Patrick
Wesley Rising
Paton Roberts
Anna Serbina
Andrii Torchylo
Phuong Linh Vu
Felicia Xingyue Wang
Harry Hongtao Wang
Coco Yixin Zhang
Ivy RunPeng Zhuang
Taft’s Ranking Scholars
The following students were the ranking scholars at the end of 2019-2020 academic year, having earned the highest unweighted averages in their classes.
Chloe Agopian, Class of 2023
Lance Lantian Zhang, Class of 2022
Harry Hongtao Wang, Class of 2021
Congratulations to all of the Taft students honored during the Fall 2020 Academic Awards ceremony. Watch video from the ceremony here.
Fall 2020 Cum Laude Society Inductees, top row, from left: Benas Babenskas, Clara Baurmeister, Alexander Janssen, Sarah Katz. Second row, from left: Benjamin Chinh Quang Le, Darren McNerney, Simon Messineo, Pishya Muangman. Third row, from left: Sheina Patrick, Wesley Rising, Paton Roberts, Anna Serbina. Fourth row, from left: Andrii Torchylo, Phuong Linh Vu, Felicia Xingyue Wang, Harry Hongtao Wang. Last row, left to right: Coco Yixin Zhang, Ivy RunPeng Zhuang.
National Merit Scholarship Program Commendation and Semifinalist Honorees: top row, from left: Timothy Broadbent, Jack Church, Ethan Lilien. Second row, from left: Simon Messineo, Samantha Ouellette, Sheina Patrick, Peter Proscia. Third row, from left: Paton Roberts, Phuong Linh Vu, Felicia Xingyue Wang, Laurinda Huining Yang. Fourth row, from left: Yuk Sum Chan, Alex Janssen, Julia Kim. Bottom row, from left: Benjamin Chinh Le, Andrew Yang.
Header Photo:
Taft’s 2019-2020 Ranking Scholars, from left: Chloe Agopian, Class of 2023; Lance Lantian Zhang, Class of 2022; Harry Hongtao Wang, Class of 2021