Upper
June 10, 2024
Seven Hills Graduates 89 Students in 50th Commencement
The words of commencement speaker Jennie Rosenthal, current member of the Seven Hills Advisory Council, former Board of Trustees member, and Lotspeich graduate, advised the graduates of the Class of 2024 to not feel pressured to rush through life, take their time, and choose the right path. “Trust yourself that you are picking the right path. Seven Hills has prepared you well for whichever path you choose,” Rosenthal said.
Seven Hills celebrated its 50th Commencement in the Field House on the Hillsdale Campus on June 7. The graduates, clad in caps and gowns, came together to commemorate their myriad of achievements and time at the Seven Hills Upper School. They listened to words of wisdom from several school community leaders, including Head of School Chris Garten, Head of Upper School and Head of School-elect Matt Bolton, and Board of Trustees Chair Lair Kennedy. Students also heard from classmates Grace Dunson, Rex Shaffer, and Nathan Walker, and teacher and parent Tim Drew, and Assistant Head of School and Director of College Counseling Susan Marrs.
Upper Schoolers Honored at Awards Day
Upper School students were honored at the annual Awards Ceremony on June 6. Held in The Schiff Center, students of all grade levels were celebrated by their peers and the Upper School faculty. The ceremony began with the announcement of the following students, who earned a Concentration in Seven Hills’ Experiential Learning program for studying a subject in-depth in the following fields:
Anna Kunkel — Immigration, Displacement, and Refugee Studies
Arjun Gupta — Business Administration and Economics
Dhanush Bearelly — Medical Studies
Oliver Szabo — Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Lina Asfaw — Legal Studies
Junior Michaela Atkinson was presented the Miriam Titcomb Award, the highest honor awarded to a junior, for exhibiting “initiative in some area, originality in some area, love of fellow man, and courage of convictions.”
Senior Lidya Tesfaye was presented with the Clement L. Buenger Award on behalf of the Fund for Independent Schools of Cincinnati.
Junior Lauren VordemEsche received the Neil Smith Scholarship, which is presented to a student in grade nine, 10, or 11 who best exemplifies the qualities for which Neil Smith is known. The selected student must “meet the world with optimism and good will; expect the best from themselves and others; and exhibit courage, compassion, integrity, and intelligence.”
The Personal Achievement Award was presented to the students whose contributions have made Seven Hills a better place. Honorees were freshman Jackie Katuska, sophomores Nina Head, Sai Harini Basava, and Sabrina Donovan, junior Nicholas Stein, and senior Oliver Szabo.
Lily Plum Gartenlaub received the Sophomore Scholastic Achievement Award. This is awarded to sophomores who exhibit a scholarly temperament and who have contributed the benefits of learning in a given discipline to the school and/or the wider community. These students exhibit a love of learning, intellectual curiosity, and share enthusiasm for the discipline with others.
Junior Evie Ferguson received the Citizenship Award. This is awarded to the student who takes an active role in school and/or community affairs, who exhibits mature political and global consciousness and a sense of civic responsibility.
Juniors Kyle Wang and Ella Skipper were given the Creativity and Original Thinking Award. This award is given to students who are committed to independent thinking and have displayed an inquisitive and creative habit of mind.
Junior Anna Kunkel was awarded the Community Scholar Award, presented to the student “who has shown exceptional achievement in a given discipline and has extended that knowledge to benefit the larger community.”
Rex Shaffer and Grace Dunson was presented the Carol Brestel Award. The recipient is selected by vote of the faculty “of a senior who combines enthusiasm and talent and exhibits leadership in school life.”
Gabrielle Walker received the Florence Fessenden Award, which is given to a senior for outstanding achievement in a certain academic area.
Phoebe Rubenstein was presented the Alumni Association Service Award, which is given to seniors who have an outstanding record of service to home and community.
Rishi Mittal received the Ruth Russell Jones Award, which is presented to a senior who exhibited the greatest overall improvement and intellectual growth over a three-year period.
Department Awards
Michelle Hu — Andress Art Award
Isabelle Anthony, Alice Bachelder, Ronan Blair, Noah Clark, Nora Donovan, Grace Dunson, Elan Little, Kaeden Iyoha, Ed Li, Susie Stahl, Oliver Szabo, Margaret Tenney, and Mikul Wyer — Theater Award
Ed Li — (Alumni) Fine and Performing Arts Award
Alice Bachelder — English Award
Jason Zhou — Kathy Richardson Award
Isabelle Anthony — History Award
Alexa Kecman — Math Award
Abby Deimling — Biology Award
Jackson Hamon — Chemistry Award
Brett Woffingotn — Physics Award
Isabella Wang — Computer Science Award
Nora Donovan — Latin Award
Nathan Walker — Chinese Award
Gardner Follin — French Award
Megha Gaitonde — Spanish Award
Callie Drew and Margret Schnirring — Female Athlete of the Year
Rex Shaffer — Male Athlete of the Year
Alexa Kecman — Female Scholar Athlete
Carter Stevens — Male Scholar Athlete
Sophie Wiles — Female Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award
Nick Cohen — Male Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award
Nicholas Stein —Elinor Scherr Mosher Award
2024 Senate Award — Kylene Utah
Upper Schoolers Complete May Terms
On May 24 and May 28-30, the Upper School freshmen, sophomores, and juniors completed one of 17 May Terms, which are a week-long course or trip focusing on a specific topic. The students worked on engines, met with chefs who specialize in various foods, painted a mural, explored Hamilton County Parks and Cincinnati landmarks, met with the Ohio Innocence Project, recorded songs and movie trailers, and learned about health and wellness. The Civil Rights Through Landmarks Trip took students to the south to explore important sites of the Civil Rights Movement and the world language department took students to Spain to practice their language skills and learn about another culture.
Lifers Return to Lower Schools
On May 20, senior lifers returned to Doherty and Lotspeich to reminisce with their former teachers, read their time capsules, watch their fifth grade graduation video, and look at photos of their time as Lower School students.
View this post on Instagram
Senior Clap-out During Senior Circle
The entire Seven Hills community gathered in the Field House on May 17 to cheer off the Class of 2024! With signs, air-horns, cowbells, and our beloved mascot Sting, Stingers of all ages rallied for the senior class as they ran around the circle and thanked their parents and teachers for an excellent final year. Good luck, seniors!
Upper School to Pilot Cybersecurity Course Next Year
The Upper School will be one of only 150 schools in the country, and the only one in Ohio, to offer Cybersecurity 1: Networking Fundamentals during the 2024-25 school year. Seven Hills was chosen by the College Board to pilot the course as part of its Career Kickstart program, which helps high school students accelerate their educational journey for in-demand careers.
“I’m thrilled that Seven Hills has been selected to pilot this course,” said Head of Upper School and Head of School-elect Matt Bolton. “It’s a testament to [computer science teacher] Marcus Twyford’s phenomenal teaching and to the depth and rigor of our computer science program.”
Tywford will be teaching the cybersecurity course, which will cover personal digital security, cabling, networks, routing, and more.
