Student Leadership Awards and Trips
Joe "Sarge" Key Award Winners Selected
Thirteen rising seniors have been selected for the Joe Key Award, a trip that recognizes selfless character and involves seven days of sea-kayaking, hiking, and camping in the islands of Acadia National Park this August. The trip honors the late Joe Key, who worked at Baylor from 1961-1988 as a military instructor and study hall supervisor and was affectionally known as “Sarge.” The trip honors students of admirable character whose selfless efforts might otherwise go unrecognized by the school or their peers. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Shane Jones, Mack Whitcomb, Charlie Cushman, Cullen Roberts, (back row) Nicholas Short, Shriyaa Srihari, Sophia Baleeiro, Mallory Alling, Taylor Butts, Penelope Kwun, Lucy Good, Leighann Franklin, and Madisen Williams.
David M. Abshire Civic Leadership Award
Twelve rising seniors were selected to travel to Washington, D.C., this summer on the David M. Abshire Civic Leadership trip for an intensive week-long experiential course of study on national leadership, ethics, honor, and service. The program was created in partnership with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and the late Dr. David Abshire ’44, who served as president and CEO of that organization. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Vivi Christopoulos, Anne Russell Kibbe, Marshall McGahey, Addison Johnson, Mallory Alling, Claire Holtzclaw, (back row) Leighann Franklin, Tine Latimer, Rhet Johnson, Burke Murphy, Jeb Martin, and Lucy Good.
Seniors Named Presidential Scholar Candidates
Baylor seniors Rowe Cooper (right) and Owen Eastman (left) were selected as candidates for a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Award. Established in 1964, the program recognizes and honors some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. The selection of approximately 4,000 program candidates is based largely on SAT and ACT scores. Applications are reviewed, and up to 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars are named each year. Since 2003 (the earliest records available), 22 Baylor seniors were selected as candidates, seven were named semifinalists, and two were chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars.
Science and Research News
Baylor Sweeps Science and Engineering Fair
With 22 Baylor students competing and a tally of 24 awards, Baylor swept the Chattanooga Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, March 16-17.
Seven schools participated in the Senior Division, and the Junior and Senior Divisions had more than 100 entries combined. As a team, the Baylor students took top prize for School Participation with the most student contributions and submissions. Baylor also received the School Achievement award in recognition of having the most entries that placed, as well as individually-earned prizes. Accompanying the students were Baylor faculty members Ben Holt, Dr. Mary Loveless, and Dr. Antonio Herrera.
Junior Sophia Baleeiro placed first in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, received the United States Air Force Award, earned an alternate spot for Regeron ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair), and placed as ISEF Observer. Other individual first place awards included seniors Hannah Barger, Gunnar Garriques, Michael Kinsey, Iain Henderson, Kate Rogers, Kaan Volkan, and Maya Wiisanen; and sophomores Annie Marks and Ella Marks. Second place winners included juniors Cat Campbell, Tim George, and Luke Thompson. Third place winners included senior Aidan Shaw; juniors Nora Redding and Grace Burks, and sophomores Corinne Hessler and Abby Murchison.
Sixth Annual Science and Engineering Symposium
The sixth annual Science and Engineering Symposium took place on May 10 and showcased college-level work conducted by students in Baylor’s advanced scientific research program and featured more than 55 abstracts. The top winners and their abstracts were Aidan Shaw (middle) Identifying Amphibian Predators Using Clay Prey Models and Environmental DNA, first place; Kate Rogers (left) The Effects of Wastewater Treatment Plants on Microbial Community Composition and Distribution of Sulfamethoxazole Resistance on The Tennessee River, second place; and Hannah Barger (right), Production of a Spherical Air Bearing for Cubesat Testbed, third place.
Ohm Raiders Finish Spring Season
The Baylor Ohm Raiders robotics team finished the spring season at the Tennessee and the Alabama state tournaments, finishing third in the Tenn. state tournament and earning the Motivate Award in the Alabama tournament. Team members included senior Apple Zhou, along with juniors Javier Garcia Nieto, Leo Li, Mimi Masson, Jackson Rogers, Sergio Sergiyenko, Kaan Volkan, Chloe Wang, Michael Xing, Chris Yang, Kevin Yu, and Tony Zhang; sophomores Jack Champion and Amanda Lu; freshman Eric Zheng; and eighth grader Brandon Oakes. Team coaches are Dr. Mary Loveless, director of Baylor Research, and science instructor Kyle Di Tieri.
Fine Arts
Baylor Players Present You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, a Broadway Musical
The Baylor Players presented their first live musical production in three years, featuring the humble and heartfelt charm of Charlie Brown and the whole Peanuts gang in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, a Broadway Musical. The play showcased the talents of more than 50 cast, crew, and orchestra members from the Upper School, and 18 Middle School crew members. The production, directed by Beth Gumnick, also involved faculty members Mae Weiss, musical director; Ben Sposet, assistant musical director; Margaret Harman ’14, choreographer; Garrett Walsh, set designer; and Laura Smith, costume designer.
Pictured above (left to right) are Finley Burnette ’25 in lavender, Kennedy Ray ’25 in teal, Sharnima Jones ’22 in pink, Julian Arellano ’25 in purple stripe, Ollie Ellis ’25 in brown overalls, Jack Smith ’22 in yellow, Kara Anne Smith ’22 in white, Hannah Winchester ’23 in blue, Finn Ryan ’25 in dark green (behind Hannah), Nathaniel Smart ’23 in red, Mary Margaret Bender ’24 in light green, and Margaret Dowling ’22 in orange.
Vervé Presents 30th Annual Concert and Spring Collective
The 30th annual Vervé dance concert took place Jan. 26-29 in Roddy Theater. The show included 15 Middle School and Upper School dancers and featured choreography by faculty members Elizabeth Cox Roemer ’05 and Margaret Harman ’14, guest artist Sarah Long ’14, and senior Connie Ni and junior Lacy Creswell.
Work by student choreographers (pictured left to right) Riley Mauldin ’26, Lacy Creswell ’23, Shanina Dong ’26, Isabella Moore ’25, and Connie Ni ’22 was featured in the Vervé Spring Dance Collection on April 30. The production involved both Middle and Upper School students.
Meya Yangzhen is National Scholastic Art Award Winner
Regional and National Scholastic Art Award winner junior Meya Yangzhen received a Gold Key in the sculpture category and will attend a national reception in New York City’s Carnegie Hall in July. Recipients of Scholastic Regional Art Awards in the Gold Key category were sophomore Pierce Grantham, drawing and illustration; junior Sidney Kiner, sculpture; senior Michael Kinsey, sculpture; and sophomore David Wang, writing. Silver Key winners were senior Emily Dotson, sculpture; junior Punch Sakulvongtana, painting; and senior Tina Zheng, editorial cartoon. Senior Reade Smith received an Honorable Mention in mixed media. In addition, eighth grader Braylee Newell received a Gold Key in the drawing and illustration category.
Awards Day 2022
Outstanding Student Leaders Honored
Baylor named Maddie Kim (left) the 2022 valedictorian, announced Sanjit Pamidi (right) as salutatorian, and honored seven of its outstanding student leaders with Founders Awards, the highest the school bestows, at the annual Awards Day ceremony. Click here to see all the award winners.
Middle School Honors Student Leaders
Academic and leadership awards were presented to Middle School students, including valedictorian William Hubbard (left) and Piper Ryan (right) during the eighth grade ceremony on May 26. Click here for complete Middle School awards information.
Watch Awards Day Video