May 25, 2014
During the 49th Commencement Exercises the following awards were bestowed to students. Head of the Upper School, Ms. Linda Harris, introduced each of these honors.
Longevity Awards
The longevity awards are given to those who entered CSS either in PreK or Kindergarten. These students have been important members of our community from start to finish. To present the awards this year were former preschool and Kindergarten teachers, Michelle (Williams) Gates and Colleen Nissen. The Class of 2014 had five students who received the longevity award – KENDRA BAUCOM, ALEX GARDINER, JAX KINLAW, MADDY MASON, and SHAWN THOMPSON.
Highest Academic Achievement
“Each year we recognize the student who has the highest grade point average in the Upper School. While we have many students with exceptional academic records, this year it is my pleasure to give the award for the Highest GPA to AARON WATTS.”
The Faculty Cup
The Faculty Cup is given to the student the faculty believes to be an exemplary representative of the CSS community. This year the faculty cup is awarded to KENDRA BAUCOM for her extraordinary achievement as a scholar and an athlete, and for her display of character in all areas of school life. Kendra’s athletic achievements at CSS are widely known and celebrated. She has been named Most Valuable Player in basketball many times; won the CSS Female Athlete of the Year in Middle School, and The Heather Cogswell Female Athlete of the Year in the Upper School, garnering awards also in volleyball and soccer. Kendra’s artwork has won notice in a variety of art shows, including, most recently, the Western Spirit Art Show. In addition, she has served in a number of leadership positions in the school, including as Class President of her junior class. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has consistently won a place on the school’s honor role. Across all areas of endeavor Kendra has shown herself to be a model student: ambitious in setting a high bar of personal achievement; tenacious in achieving her goals; mature in defeat, and gracious in victory. Her empathy, compassion, and genuine humanity have earned her the love and respect of her peers and her teachers. Congratulations, Kendra.
Margaret White Campbell Award
Ethan Gilbert ‘09, a previous Margaret White Campbell award recipient, returned to announce the Margaret White Campbell Award. It is presented to the student deemed by the Upper School Faculty to best represent academic excellence as well as extraordinary leadership, service to the CSS community, and general character.
This year, the first in over 50 years of awarding this prestigious award, the unthinkable happened: there was a tie vote. The faculty furrowed their brows, their focus was intense, and they pondered this conundrum over a period of weeks. They sliced and diced the nominations every way they could. They researched, discussed, collected data, and debated thinking surely a clear winner would emerge. In the end, they were exhausted, but confident in the unusual decision to award two Margaret White Campbell Cups.
Therefore, please join me in celebrating the accomplishments of two exceptional students.
The great American poet Walt Whitman exhorted us to “unscrew the locks from the doors” that separate us, and AARON WATTS has lived Whitman’s credo here at The Colorado Springs School, demonstrating an extraordinary talent for ignoring academic and extracurricular boundaries and achieving excellence in all fields of endeavor, from math to English, from theater to biology and chemistry. Whether conversing in Spanish with the locals in the mountains of Peru or helping middle school students in the REACH program create a newspaper or appreciate the complexities of backyard biology; whether steering the National Honor Society to another successful year of service and scholarship, or stage managing a large cast of CSS thespians to another triumphant production, Aaron has been a model of assured, firm, and enlightened leadership, unstinting service, and cultural breadth. His superior academic achievement, his commitment to school and community, and his exemplary display of character during his many years at CSS mark him as a more than worthy recipient of the Margaret White Campbell Award.
A gentleman and a scholar, ALEX GARDINER, one of this year’s recipients of the Margaret White Campbell Award has distinguished himself as a model of CSS’s values. Academically, Alex took just about every advanced level course available, where he found success through his inexorable work ethic and genuine engagement with the material. He has held integral leadership positions in all of the community groups of which he has been a part; this year alone, he guided Forum to a successful year as Student Body President, in addition to serving as president of KICS, treasurer of National Honor Society, “Most Valuable Runner” on the cross country team—you name it, Alex helped lead it. And yet, he remains genuinely humble and gracious, looking for chances to acknowledge the accomplishments of others above his own. As a leader, Alex builds community, seeks consensus and listens thoughtfully, yet he takes the helm when necessary, making critical decisions and exercising impeccable follow-through. A calm statesman, a sage professor, a successful entrepreneur—Alex Gardiner could be any of these things, and we are proud to award him the Margaret White Campbell Award.
Click here to review the awards and celebrations shared at the Upper School Awards Night.
Click here to enjoy a recap of the Middle School Awards Ceremony.
Click here to share in the accolades from the Children’s School 5th Grade Continuation Ceremony.
The Margaret White Campbell Award is presented to the student deemed by the Upper School Faculty to best represent academic excellence as well as extraordinary leadership, service to the CSS community, and general character.
This year, the first in over 50 years of awarding this prestigious award, the unthinkable happened: there was a tie vote. The faculty furrowed their brows, their focus was intense, and they pondered this conundrum over a period of weeks. They sliced and diced the nominations every way they could. They researched, discussed, collected data, and debated thinking surely a clear winner would emerge. In the end, they were exhausted, but confident in the unusual decision to award two Margaret White Campbell Cups.
Therefore, please join me in celebrating the accomplishments of two exceptional students. (And to be completely fair, a coin was tossed to determine the order of this morning’s announcements.)
2014 Margaret White Campbell Award Winner: Aaron Watts
The great American poet Walt Whitman exhorted us to “unscrew the locks from the doors” that separate us, and Aaron Watts has lived Whitman’s credo here at the Colorado Springs School, demonstrating an extraordinary talent for ignoring academic and extracurricular boundaries and achieving excellence in all fields of endeavor, from math to English, from theater to biology and chemistry. Whether conversing in Spanish with the locals in the mountains of Peru or helping middle school students in the REACH program create a newspaper or appreciate the complexities of backyard biology; whether steering the National Honor Society to another successful year of service and scholarship, or stage managing a large cast of CSS thespians to another triumphant production, Aaron has been a model of assured, firm, and enlightened leadership, unstinting service, and cultural breadth. His superior academic achievement, his commitment to school and community, and his exemplary display of character during his many years at CSS mark him as a more than worthy recipient of the Margaret White Campbell Award.
2014 Margaret White Campbell Award Winner: Alex Gardiner
A gentleman and a scholar, Alex Gardiner, one of this year’s recipients of the Margaret White Campbell Award has distinguished himself as a model of CSS’s values. Academically, Alex took just about every advanced level course available, where he found success through his inexorable work ethic and genuine engagement with the material. He has held integral leadership positions in all of the community groups of which he has been a part; this year alone, he guided Forum to a successful year as Student Body President, in addition to serving as president of KICS, treasurer of National Honor Society, “Most Valuable Runner” on the cross country team—you name it, Alex helped lead it. And yet, he remains genuinely humble and gracious, looking for chances to acknowledge the accomplishments of others above his own. As a leader, Alex builds community, seeks consensus and listens thoughtfully, yet he takes the helm when necessary, making critical decisions and exercising impeccable follow-through. A calm statesman, a sage professor, a successful entrepreneur—Alex Gardiner could be any of these things, and we are proud to award him the Margaret White Campbell Award.
