On Thursday, April 10, a highly select group of Class of 2014 seniors will be honored and inducted into the School's Cum Laude Society at a special dinner in Hajjar Auditorium.  An annual ceremony that is traditionally one of the most memorable of the academic year, the Cum Laude Dinner this year will once again feature remarks from an accomplished member of the D-E alumni community, a musical interlude, and personal remarks from D-E faculty and administrative staff members about each of the student honorees.  

The mission of Cum Laude is 'to recognize academic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence (Areté), justice (Diké) and honor (Timé)'.  In the words of Peter Bograd, D-E's Cum Laude Chapter President and D-E faculty member, "These students are exceptional examples of young men and women who practice these values every day, in the classroom, in their activities, and in their communities."

This year's featured Cum Laude Society Dinner alumna presenter is Alison Désir.  Alison currently works as an Event Manager at Powered by Professionals, a fundraising event management company that produces events for nonprofit organizations. She received both her BA and MA from Columbia University in New York. Throughout her career, Alison has worked with various nonprofit organizations, including the Children’s Tumor Foundation, where she managed events in the South Eastern United States and fundraised over $500,000 towards the mission of ending neurofibromatosis through research, and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, where she was responsible for supporting donors and volunteers in their fundraising efforts. Beyond her interests in fundraising and event management, Alison is an endurance athlete and an RRCA and USATF certified coach.

In 2012, Alison founded Powdered Feet, an organization rooted in the idea that running can be a vehicle for social change and empowerment.   She explains:  "Powdered Feet strives to make running fun and accessible to everyone, inspiring individuals to make choices that will optimize their health and allow them to Find Meaning on the Run. Through Powdered Feet, [we work] with athletes of varying abilities, arming them with the physical and mental strength necessary to cross finish lines and find happiness."

Cum Laude Dinner attendees will also hear a piece performed by student cellist (and Cum Laude honoree) Garrett ("Gary") Finn '14, accompanied by his mother Laura Seaton-Finn. 

The Class of 2014 Cum Laude Society honorees include:

Min A
Michael H. Chen
Joshua Paul Davis
Julia Owen Feikens
Garrett Eugene Finn
Stacy Elizabeth Goldberg
Noah Max Golub
Nina A. Leifer
Maitreyi Santosh Nabar
Krish Ashok Pamani
Eleanor Mei Politi
Joshua Mordecai Popkin
Angely Mairena Prieto
Marc B. Rosenberg
Daniel Aaron Shlien
Alex J. Shukhman
Samuel Sokota
Alana Solin
Jamie M. Spingeld
Divya Sri Vallabhaneni
Amy Shenshen Wang
Carly Amanda Wolfer

Sincere congratulations to our Class of 2014 Cum Laude Society honorees!