The Upper School student body was surprised to learn that the school’s annual Cum Laude ceremony would no longer be observed during an assembly.
“We’ve been watching for three years other people get inducted, and it was our turn and now we don’t get to do it in front of everyone else,” senior Anna Consoli said.
Cum Laude is an academic honor given to high school seniors who are at the top of their graduating clas, academically. In past years, Kinkaid has chosen to honor these select students through a mandatory Upper School assembly. Additionally, a speaker has been invited to share insights into their own personal journey and how Kinkaid impacted their growth as an individual.
Even though there was no ceremony at school, the honorees were still recognized on the big screen of the Brown Auditorium, and the school brought in Class of 2014 alum Arin Drtil to be the guest speaker. Drtil highlighted how much Kinkaid benefited him and set him up for success in the future, especially in the medical field of Orthopedics.
Talk amongst students began the week of Feb. 19 that this monumental assembly would no longer be as formal as it has been in past years. The ceremony was instead hosted at the Junior League of Houston, which usually had solely hosted a dinner for the recipients and their families.
“It can be difficult for working parents to be on campus during the day, and this allowed parents and inductees to celebrate together one time while still honoring the inductees in front of the student body during the normal Tuesday assembly,” Head of Upper School, Alex Spencer, shared. “This allowed us to eliminate a special assembly that interrupts class time. By removing the induction from the assembly, the celebration of the inductees fits into a regular assembly and doesn’t affect other classes.”
“I loved getting to walk across the stage in front of my family and friends because they have supported and encouraged me throughout my academic journey,” senior Ella Fox said.
As years prior, each student received their official Cum Laude Award at the ceremony which recognized their honorable academic achievements.
