Upper School Recognizes Student Achievement During Award Ceremony, Rachel Mitchell `24 Receives Country Day Award

With another memorable year at Country Day coming to a close, Upper School faculty, staff, family members, and student body came together to celebrate 39 student recognitions during the Upper School award ceremony. 

While many students would get called to the stage during the ceremony for their efforts this past school year, Jenn Weinheimer, head of Upper School, encouraged every student to take a moment to reflect on the work they’ve done. 

“Awards Day is a chance to look back and appreciate the year and all it brought, not just about those who get called to the stage,” said Weinheimer. “Not everyone wins an award—and that’s life. You are a part of a community of greatness, and today we celebrate a few particular kinds of achievement on a particular timeline… every kid in this room has some skill, some talent, some ability to connect with others, and we don’t have awards for all those skills and talents.  Know that you are seen. Know that you are valued – with or without the piece of paper or the trip to the stage. Celebrate your friends’ successes and keep perspective.” 

Students received recognition for their achievements in everything from athletics and academics to service and extracurricular activities.  

“Congratulations for all the growth you’ve experienced this year. Congratulations on that spectacular failure that led you back into a teacher’s office to figure out a new way. Congratulations for getting it right – for now,” continued Weinheimer. “Stay healthy, work hard, be radically kind and turn your virtue into action. If you’re a senior, go out into the world and be ready to feel uncommonly prepared for college courses but sometimes unprepared for the small hiccups of life. Call your Country Day friends, come back and visit your teachers, ask for help. If you’re just finishing your freshman year and you’re exhausted, good. Hard work should leave you feeling like you’ve earned a bit of a rest.  And do – but find different ways to use your brain this summer, don’t just turn your brain off. Get a job, help a neighbor, stain the deck, take your younger cousin out for ice cream to make them feel like your friend and not just your cousin. And savor the summer because before you know it, it’s another year.” 

Juniors Jordan Lowe and Nicholas Vredeveld were honored with the Peter Levinson Memorial Award, an award bestowed upon those for “giving of oneself in schoolwork and school activities, leadership, a zest for competitive athletics…a positive attitude…and a commitment to community service.” 

“When he’s [Nicholas] not embracing capitalism, this student has left the country for service work, played three varsity sports and finds time to play guitar and take some impressive photos… he leads decisively and without question. He doesn’t seek the approval of others but wins it with his kindness and his thoughtfulness,” said Weinheimer about Nicholas Vredeveld. 

Lowe also added the Bausch & Lomb Science Award to her collection of awards.   

“She [Jordan] is quietly confident but never a braggart. She is willing to help her classmates and her teachers, and she stays out of the drama that can often accompany high school life,” said Weinheimer. “She’s an incredibly hard worker who doesn’t complain or engage in the one-upmanship of who is more exhausted or more stressed. All of this and her transcript has never even seen an A-minus. [Jordan] is a model of scholarship and generosity of spirit.” 

Head of School Rob Zimmerman `98 presented the Country Day Award, which is the highest honor the school can bestow upon a student. This award recognizes the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, best represents those qualities for which we want the school to be known. This year, senior Rachel “Ray” Mitchell received this recognition. 
 
“We have been blessed to benefit from the rising tide of Ray’s leadership here at Country Day. On second thought, though, perhaps this metaphor of a rising tide sounds too gradual to truly capture Ray’s spirit, too passive to capture her virtue in action. Instead, to sum up, I will defer to another faculty member, who said it best: ‘The world should be ready to be taken by storm – she is only 17; imagine what awaits.’” 
 
Ray also received the Thomas D. Gettler `76 Creative Writing Award and the Fine Arts Award in Drama. Ray is also a National African American Merit Scholar. 

Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients: 

• Joseph F. Hofmeister Scroll Award: Brina Crellin `25 

• Archive Award: Charlize Rust `24, Kiera Yackey `25, and Elizabeth Zimmerman `24 

• Patterson Prize for Poetry: Vic Quintero `25 

• Patterson Prize for Prose: Louisa Joy `25 

• Thomas D. Gettler `76 Creative Writing Award: Rachel “Ray” Mitchell `24 

• Outstanding Female Underclassman: Roxy Vollmer `27 

• Outstanding Male Underclassman: Luke Schnieber `27 and Weichu Wang `26 

• James A. Wright Sportsmanship Award: Fleur Helmantel `24 and Carson Yackey `24 

• Letterman Leadership Award: Lucas de Alarcon `24 and Piper Farris `24 

• Shirley Heinichen Outstanding Female Athlete: Elizabeth Zimmerman `24 and Megan Zimmerman `24 

• J. David McDaniel Outstanding Male Athlete: Parker Corbin `24 and Andrew Zimmerman `24 

• Tony Strauss Service-Learning Award: Levi Homan `24 

• Fred Carey Memorial Award: Melissa Teke `24 

• Fine Arts Award in Drama: Ray Mitchell `24 

• Fine Arts Award in Technical Theatre: Will Schiff `24 

• Fine Arts Award in Vocal Music: Imri Young `25 

• Fine Arts Award in Instrumental Music: Fleur Helmantel `24 

• Visual Arts Award – Studio: Addison Heimann `24 

• Visual Arts Award – Photography: Alex Riemann `24 

• Messer Award: Cara Hamall `25 

• William H. Chatfield Award: Will Schiff `24 

• David E. Laird Computer Science Award: Alex Back `25 

• Robinson-Bye English Award: Gracie Mitchell `24 

• Indian Hill Historical Society Outstanding Achievement in American History Award: Kevin Pearson `25 

• Lee S. Pattison History Award: Kevin Yang `24 

• Ash Mathematics Award: Marley Handler `24 

• Martha W. Burton Award in French:  Louisa Joy `25 

• Spanish Language Award: Marley Handler `24 

• Chinese Language Award: Gracie Mitchell `24 

• Bausch & Lomb Science Award: Jordan Lowe `25 

• Gordon R. Wright Science Award: Marley Handler `24 

• Schmitt Adrian Arts and Sciences Award: Alex Back `25 

• Cum Laude Society Class of 2024 Recognition: Rana Arebi, Samantha Easter, Marley Handler, Fleur Helmantel, Leo Joffe, Gigi Macias-Jaime, Jordis Martin, Gracie Mitchell, Emma Rainey, Alex Riemann, Kevin Yang, Elizabeth Zimmerman, Megan Zimmerman 

• National Merit Finalist: Marley Handler `24 

• National Merit Commended Students: Rana Arebi `24 and Gracie Mitchell `24

• National African American Merit Students: Ami Bah `24, Donovan Gray `25, Ray Mitchell `24, Ashley Odom `25, Imri Young `25 

• National Hispanic Merit Students: Lucas de Alarcon `24, Gigi Macias-Jaime `24, Lucia Murdoch `25, Vic Quintero `25, Alex Riemann `24 

• Peter Levinson Memorial Award: Jordan Lowe `25 and Nicholas Vredeveld `25 

• Country Day Award: Rachel “Ray” Mitchell `24