The Darlington Chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 19 students and two faculty members during a ceremony in Morris Chapel on Thursday, March 24.
According to Dean of College Guidance Sam Moss (’63), Chapter president, membership in the Cum Laude Society is the highest academic honor Darlington can bestow upon a group of students. Election is highly selective. In order to be eligible for consideration, a student must have an A (93) for all four years; must have taken at least 10 Honors and AP courses (five of which must be AP courses) over four years; students must also have demonstrated good character, honor, and integrity in all aspects of their school life. Not all students who meet these criteria will necessarily be elected, as membership is limited by The Cum Laude Society's national rules to maximum of 20% of each senior class.
Inductees included Lucy Claire Aultman, Elsa Quay Corbin, Kathryn Rose Davidson, Weizhe Feng, Yixin Kang, Xiang Lian, Brock Christiansen Lignell, Eileen Lin, Eli Lucas Mayes, Radha Miniyar, Robert Luke Pearson, Mary Mackaela Pittman, Mary Elizabeth Prusakowski, Zoe Meagher Rahn, Sarah Frances Tunnell, Shi Yuan Wang, Yutong Wu, Ziyi Yang and Bojun Zhang.
“The Cum Laude Society recognizes excellence in academic work,” said Moss. “As these students pursue their education, it is our hope that they will accept this honor as a responsibility to make a contribution to the ongoing search for greater understanding of one's self and of society.”
The society also inducted Darlington Upper School math teacher Christie Atkins and Upper School Math Department Chair, teacher and soccer coach Al Shorey.
Christie Atkins, a math teacher at the Upper School, is a veteran educator with more than 30 years of experience teaching and tutoring. She holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Lipscomb University and an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from Trevecca Nazarene University. For her work at Darlington, Christie has been honored to receive the 2013 Beachum Master Teaching Award and the 2014 R.M. Yankee Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. She and her husband, Jonathan, are the parents of Leslie ('13) and Douglas.
Shorey has taught math at the Upper School since 2013 and also coaches girls' soccer. He also serves as the chair of the math department. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, he holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the United States Military Academy, an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri at Rolla and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Al and his wife, Stephanie, are the parents of Charlie ('16) and Alan ('18).
