Cum Laude 2018

May 17, 2018

“The seniors we recognize tonight are remarkable young scholars,” said Cate Director of Studies Lisa Holmes of the School’s Cum Laude inductees. “One reason they have experienced success has been their orientation to challenge. They have each been willing to struggle with ideas and to summon the determination to work through complex problems and arrive at authentic solutions.”

On the evening of May 15, fifteen seniors were inducted into the Cate School Chapter of the National Cum Laude Society. The society, founded in 1906, is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools. Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, Cum Laude has grown to nearly 400 chapters, primarily in the United States. Students are selected for induction based on the quality of their academic work and for demonstrating good character, honor, and integrity in all aspects of school life.

Holmes led the ceremony and told members of the community who had gathered in the Katharine Thayer Cate Memorial Chapel that the group of selected students includes “gifted musicians, artists, actors, mathematicians, scientists, and brilliant writers.”

Ambassador Nina Hachigian, gave the Cum Laude address this year. Hachigian, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the Obama administration, is currently the Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for International Affairs. In her current role, she oversees and coordinates all of the city’s international affairs such as attracting global investment, advising Mayor Garcetti on trade policy, and assisting the Host Committee with the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Hachigian said to the inductees about the “unsettling era” in which they find themselves, “Solutions are out there. They just need leaders like you … and I want you to know in your head and feel in your gut that progress can happen – it is happening.”

Hachigian offered sage advice in her parting words. “While you are on the sometimes rocky journey of life on this planet, do be kind to each other. That’s good advice from a practical point of view… but it’s also the easiest way to make the world better.”

The following seniors were honored with Cum Laude distinction during Tuesday’s ceremony:

Kathryn Antonatos of Chicago, IL
Jackie Cai of Carpinteria, CA
Molly Dorion of Carpinteria, CA
Kaliyah Dorsey of Pennsauken, NJ
Julia Farner of Ojai, CA
Darling Garcia of Los Angeles, CA
Young Su Ko of Los Angeles, CA
Jenny Lee of Seoul, South Korea
Ian MacFarlane of Santa Barbara, CA
Julia McCaw of Santa Barbara, CA
Carter Melnick of Westport, CT
Jack Rehnborg of Pacific Palisades, CA
Charles Shi of Shanghai, China
Cambria Weaver of Santa Barbara, CA
Rose Xi of Tokyo, Japan