Class Day 2022

On Thursday, June 2 the Upper School community gathered in the Graduation Garden for Class Day to recognize and celebrate Upper School student accomplishments in the classroom, arts, athletics, service, citizenship and leadership throughout the 2021-22 academic year.

Dr. Kim Long Riley ’79, who is retiring this year, was this year’s Class Day speaker. Dr. Riley started her speech noting all the things that were prohibited from discussion, such as “the p word,” for pandemic, and how she was to refrain from mentioning the “unprecedented times” the last two years have brought. One topic not off limits to Dr. Riley was convocation, the Upper School traditional senior speeches.

 

“Convocation speeches are one of my favorite parts of the school day,” she shared. Dr. Riley credits the Bryn Mawr community with what makes Convocation so special through question and answer sessions, “when you, the students, teachers, coaches and administrators shape the quality of the collective experience, with your imaginative, sensitive and provocative questions.  Watching you all in Convocation is part of what makes me sure that the Bryn Mawr education is working. You’ve learned how to make something bigger, more meaningful and interesting, out of whatever is put in front of you.”

 

Dr. Riley shared the story of a student who questioned her decision to return to Bryn Mawr as a teacher, saying she was, “Unable to encapsulate how decades of experience in other worlds has shown me how valuable and magical a place the Bryn Mawr classroom can be. How can I say to someone who has never known anything but school how rare it is to find environments where an engaged mind is so highly valued, where the life of the mind is known and recognized, where an awakening mind is the goal of every lesson and class discussion.” She used this story to encourage the seniors, “Do not be afraid to love and support Bryn Mawr,” after they graduate. 

 

Following student speeches by seniors Lana Milman and Lily Snouffer, Class Day awards were announced and leaders from Student Government Association, Athletic Association, Environmental Coalition, Community Service Learning, Arts Council and Community Advocacy for Equity (CAFE) passed the gavels to the incoming president of each organization. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the seniors were officially welcomed into the Alumnae Association. Congratulations to all of the award winners and to the Class of 2022!

 

A recording of Class Day is available here. 

2022 Class Day Awards

All awardees are members of the Class of 2022 unless otherwise noted.

Frances Virginia Wentz Turner Prize

Rory Powell

Community Service Prize

Shreya Gandhi

Class of 1953 Prize

Caroline Knight

Parents’ Association Award

CC Colangelo

The Wurtzburger Cup

Jordan King

Caryatid Award

Madeline Richard

The Agnes Whiting Memorial Award

Caroline Song

Public Speaking Award

Kaitlyn Leitherer

Alumnae Awards 

Anna Kent

Zawadi Sankofa

AnneLindle Weigman

Jingjing Xu

 

State of Maryland Merit Scholastic Awards

Shreya Gandhi

Ava Wilson

Ammy Yuan

Rory Powell

The Bryn Mawr College Prize

Makenna Bachman ’23

Edith Hamilton Award 

Christina Biuckians ’23

 

Class of 2020 Award

Ella Box

Tendai Murray

Makaeda Warrell

Eliza Turrall ’23

Ava Wilson

 

 

Class of 1943 Cups

Arts Council – Kelsey Chang ’25

Athletic Association – Hanna Franklin

Community Advocacy for Equity (CAFÉ) – Yasmine Worley ’24

Community Service Learning – Maggie Lynch ’23

Environmental Coalition - Jane Eiswert ’23

Student Government Association – Cailyn Thomas

The Bryn Mawr College Scholarship

Shreya Gandhi