The top 20 percent of students of the Class of 2024 were initiated into Phi Beta Kappa as new members of the Cum Laude Society.
With speeches from Head of School Jonathan Eades and class of 2013 Kinkaid alumna Katherine Drews, the ceremony commenced.
Drews spoke about the importance of failure in one’s career. A graduate of Wake Forest University and Harvard Law School, Drews noted the many failures that preceded her accomplishments as a law clerk.
She now works as an attorney for Susman Godfrey litigation firm in Houston and she shared her personal experience of making one of her client’s witnesses cry on the stand because of overcommitment to preparing for the case until early hours in the morning. From this, she shared how failure helps one to improve and grow.
“I felt really touched by Ms. Drew’s speech. It really made me feel better about the idea of failure,” said sophomore Evan Paris.
On the night of the ceremony, the newly initiated students and Cum Laude faculty will also attend a dinner.
Cum Laude initiates voted on a fellow classmate to give a speech at the celebratory dinner. The students decided on senior Onyi Ndee.
“As soon as I learned I’d been selected by my peers to give the speech, I started writing it the day of,” Ndee said.
“I knew I wanted to make it relatable while also sharing my unique experience of Kinkaid. I also knew it was important to give thanks to the people who supported our class along the way. I wanted to convey how thankful I was for the students in my grade and how I wish them the best in the future as well,” she said.
Along with receiving a gold Cum Laude pin and a certificate, Cum Laude students will receive a gold sash to wear on graduation day.
