Inductees Announced!

Inductees Announced!


Brooks inducted 18 new members into the school’s Cum Laude Society chapter during a dedicated ceremony in the Frank D. Ashburn Chapel on April 23.

Cum Laude Society Induction 2025

“Congratulations, new members of the Cum Laude Society,” said Currie Joya-Huntington at the morning event. “Your dedication to your studies is impressive and we celebrate all the work you have put in.” 

“No teacher can force you to learn; those of you receiving certificates today brought your own skill, your own commitment and your own particular brands of intensity to your academic work here,” Dean of Academic Affairs Currie Joya-Huntington told the inductees gathered in front of the student body as he commended them on the accomplishments that qualified them for the society, modeled on the collegiate Phi Beta Kappa organization. “Our time together today honors the academic dedication you have brought to our community.”

Cum Laude Society Induction 2025

The class of 2025 inductees, by rule capped at 20 percent of the graduating class and voted upon by faculty members, are:

  • Leah Chen
  • Aiden Crott
  • Lauren DuBarry
  • Ximing Ivy Gong
  • Henry Hebert
  • Thomas Lacoste
  • Francesca Maitino
  • Adrianna McClintock
  • Meghan McSwain
  • Seho Min
  • Harrison O’Connor
  • Charles Rousmaniere
  • William Sanders
  • BuGyeom Seok
  • Serena Trojer
  • Ella Whelan
  • Jacob Yutong Zhao
  • Cheng Zhuang

Watch the induction ceremony.

Mathematics Teacher Tote Smith delivered the Cum Laude address. In the speech, he shared his academic and professional experiences along with advice to all Brooks students and a congratulations to the inductees.

Cum Laude Society Induction 2025

“Your journeys through Brooks have undoubtedly presented numerous, numerous forks in your road and you’ve chosen your paths well with the support of your families and advice from trusted adults,” Smith said. “… I also hope that you’ve chosen some roads where you had no idea where they might be, and perhaps these paths have or will make all the difference.”

View an album of photos from the induction and luncheon following the ceremony.

Cum Laude Society Induction 2025
Cum Laude Society Induction 2025
Cum Laude Society Induction 2025

 

Brooks School's Rob Simmons '61

After being drafted into the United States military at the onset of the Vietnam War, Rob Simmons ’61 embarked on a political career devoted to supporting servicemembers and veterans. Now, he finds peace in the simple labor of growing crops on his family farm in his hometown of Stonington, Connecticut.

Read More about A Life of Service