Alex Jahangir, the head of Nashville’s COVID-19 task force and Metro Board of Health chair, spoke to students inducted into the Cum Laude Society, which recognizes members of the graduating class who have distinguished themselves for academic excellence.
By Sierra Smith, Communications Specialist
Twenty-four students were inducted into the Cum Laude Society on Thursday, October 7. The keynote speaker was orthopaedic trauma surgeon and leader in Nashville’s response to the coronavirus, Alex Jahangir.
A national organization begun in 1906, the Cum Laude Society recognizes students who have distinguished themselves for academic excellence. The society makes clear academic excellence does not refer only to superior scholarly achievement but also to the qualities of dignity and honor in pursuit of those achievements. The Cum Laude Society’s motto, “Areté, Diké, Timé,” means “excellence, justice, and honor.”
Class of 2022 honorees are:
Adeolu Oluwaseun Ajayi
Josefina Lynn Aronoff
Kaya Leigh Booth
Nia Aralyn Chetkovich
Isaac Erickson Chomsky
Caroline Grace Cramer
Sydney Rebekkah Emeson
Emanoeel Samy Ghabrial
William Walker Grobmyer
Latham Poulson Hall
Laura Peyton Harris
Eden Ruth Horton
Tate Blair Keuler
Acadia Louise LeQuire
Greta Xicai Li
Piers German Mason
Greta Nicole Matthies
Lia Clare Payne
Arnav Voncha Reddy
Nandan Sarkar
Abigail Schoenecker
Wesley August Smail
Elena Annika Wierich
Emilia Grace Zenker
"In reading our inductees' reflections on their learning and scholarship, I was struck by our students' gratitude for each other — for the ways they hold each other to high standards of learning and engagement, of pushing each other to be better students and participants and learners. They are curious and want to understand why; they want to make change in the world," English Department Chair and Cum Laude Chapter Secretary Freya Sachs shared.
Business Office Manager Sarah Dey, Assistant Director of Annual Giving Justin Gung, and Special Gifts & Donor Relations Director Carolyn Hecklin Hyatt '02, and Middle School Athletic Trainer Anna Unnasch joined USN after the start of the 2023-2024 academic year.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors seniors whose PSAT scores show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Congratulations to Cleo Gauthier '24, Emily Law '24, Natalie Mallal '24, Isaac Spiller '24, Katherine Vaughn '24, and Kailyn Womer '24.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.