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Cum Laude Society Members Honored

Cum Laude Society Members Honored

Penn Charter’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society held its annual spring ceremony on May 15, honoring the 22 seniors and 12 juniors inducted in 2023 and 2024 as members of the national organization that recognizes students who have achieved academic excellence while demonstrating good character, honor and integrity in all aspects of school life.

Established in 1908, the motto of the Cum Laude Society is Areté, Diké, Timé. Areté signifies excellence in the highest moral sense. Diké includes the concept of what is suitable, appropriate and just. Timé represents dignity, truth and honor.

Exemplifying scholarship and ethical conduct, our inductees have exhibited excellence, been just, and acted with honor during their time at Penn Charter.

At the ceremony hosted in the Meeting Room on Wednesday, May 15, Head of School Karen Warren Coleman and math teacher and secretary of Penn Charter’s Cum Laude Society chapter Jen Ketler Hon. 1689 presented and introduced each inductee.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Evan Fong Jaroff. Evan is OPC '05, a Cum Laude Society member, Fulbright Scholar, former Vice President of Investment Operations at Capital Group, and most recently, the owner and operator of Chibanos, a Chinese-Cuban sandwich shop and mixed-race space that he is in the process of launching in Philadelphia. When addressing the students, he urged them to "Learn as much as you can from others and from seeking out different experiences. Reflect on what resonates strongly with you, and also what you won’t tolerate. Follow what excites you and keeps your spark alive."

His parting wisdom to the students, "As rising and graduating seniors, you will both be entering periods in your life where it won’t be as clear how to achieve success, and many more voices will tell you what you should or shouldn't do. This is why it will be so vital to refine the most important skill you’ve developed at Penn Charter: the art of reflection and introspection."

Congratulations to the 2023 and 2024 inductees to the Cum Laude Society! View photos.

Seniors

  • Grace Agosto*                                                 
  • Ellie Choate*                                            
  • Sammy Davey*                                       
  • Elliot Dziedzic
  • Renee Fernandes
  • Katie Fitzpatrick
  • James Foley
  • Ege Gungor*                                  
  • Payton Handler*                                       
  • Zady Hasse*                                
  • James Langham*                         
  • Elijah Leckerman
  • Graziella Melchiorre
  • Owen Miner*                                      
  • Grace Neuwirth*                                          
  • Lauren Pachter
  • Julia Perricelli*                                                 
  • Olivia Roland
  • Alixandra Sztejman
  • Bram Wells
  • Alexandra Will*                                           
  • Jake Zaretsky

* inducted in 2023 as a junior   
 

Juniors

  • Fiona Brady                                                    
  • Ava Coombs
  • Lucy Cullen
  • Lucas Fiss
  • Bridgette Gold
  • Elena Jadach                                                   
  • Alexandra Jaffe                                           
  • Samantha Jaffe                                           
  • Dean Kaiser                                                
  • Wills Kaiser                                                
  • Karya Karabucak                                        
  • Zoë Page

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