The Belfry Graduation Issue - Norfolk Academy

The Belfry Graduation Issue
Norfolk Academy • 1585 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, Virginia • 2012 Edition
Shanu Dhali
After several days of festivities honoring the senior class of
Norfolk Academy, the Class of 2012 graduated today. On Thursday,
May 31, parents and members of the senior class attended Vespers,
rehearsal for graduation, and a dinner afterwards.
Commencement began at 3:00 p.m. on June 1 with Harry Lustig
and Zoe Siegel, recently elected President of the Tunstall Student
Council and President of next year’s senior class, leading the
procession.
Headmaster Dennis Manning gave the invocation and then
welcomed parents and guests.
Mr. Manning then introduced Shanu Dhali, who delivered the
first valedictory address. Andrew Balitsky then delivered the second
valedictory address.
Mr. Manning then presented the Waitzer Master Teacher Awards
and the James B. Massey Awards to recognize dedication and
professionalism among the faculty.
Mrs. Linda Gorsline, Director of the Upper School, then joined
Mr. Manning for the presentation of the awards. Shanu Dhali and
Andrew Balitsky accepted awards as the girl and boy with the
highest scholastic averages. Dhali received the High Honors Award,
and Balitsky received the John H. Ingram Memorial Award.
The Bible Award, a gift of Mr. and Mrs. James V. Bickford III, in
honor of the spiritual principles inculcated into the environment of
Andrew Balitsky
Chandler Archbell Norfolk Academy by James B. Massey, Jr., also went to Dhali and
Balitsky.
The Irving Sarlin Salutatorian Award, given by Margo Klewans
in memory of her maternal grandfather, was presented to Chandler
Archbell as the senior who has maintained the second highest
scholastic average during the past four years.
Caroline Herre received the Virginia Ellis Talbot Award,
presented to the senior girl who, in the judgment of the faculty,
has demonstrated the highest degree of leadership based upon the
influence of character.
As the senior boy who has rendered to the Academy the highest
service through leadership based upon the influence of character,
David Best received the S. Barron Segar Award.
Caroline Herre
David Best
The Ann Carroll Breeden Fellowship Award and the Robert
Gatewood Fellowship Award honor the senior girl and boy whose
high degree of good fellowship and whose completeness as human
beings bring them credit in all walks of life: academic, athletic,
artistic, and social. Katie Bennett received the Breeden Award, and
Sean Noona received the Gatewood Award.
In memory of Senator Robert F. Baldwin, the Tunstall Student
Council recognized the senior boy who, although not a member
of the Student Council, has exhibited most consistently and to the
highest degree good citizenship within the school community. This
year’s Robert F. Baldwin Citizenship Award recipient was Calvin
Mackey.
Katie Bennett
Sean Noona Calvin Mackey
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Elizabeth Pecsok
Awarded by the Tunstall Student Council, the Bernice Bradshaw
Lovitt Citizenship Award recognizes the senior girl who has
exhibited most consistently and to the highest degree the qualities
of good citizenship within the school community. Elizabeth Pecsok
received the award.
Val Lewis was the recipient of this year’s Edith Pratt Masterson
Honor Award, selected by vote of the Honor Council and given to
the senior who best exemplifies the Jeffersonian ideals of honor.
The Alexander G. Kiehl Award, bestowed upon the student who
most nearly exemplifies the outstanding characteristics of Alex
Kiehl’s life, a superior degree of devotion and commitment to the
unselfish pursuit of excellence in academics and in athletics, went to
Jack Stiffler.
The Country Day School for Girls Award honors the senior girl
who exemplifies a superior degree of devotion and commitment
to the unselfish pursuit of excellence in academics and athletics.
Elizabeth Pecsok received the award this year.
Mary Rives Dougherty received the Sally Taliaferro Driver
Award, given annually by members of the Class of 1961 in memory
of Sally Taliaferro Driver to a senior girl who, throughout her
career at Norfolk Academy, has consistently and without public
Val Lewis
Jack Stiffler
recognition, exhibited school spirit, loyalty, friendliness, kindness,
liveliness, and enthusiasm.
The Charles Forsyth Wirth Award, given in memory of Charles
Wirth to a senior boy who, throughout his career at NorfolkAcademy,
has consistently exhibited honor, loyalty, friendliness, kindness,
liveliness, enthusiasm, and has conducted himself as a gentleman,
was presented to Yohance Whitaker.
Jon Caughey received the Thomas Cornick Rixey Award, given
annually by the members of the Class of 1980 in memory of Tom
Rixey to a senior boy who, throughout his career at NorfolkAcademy,
has consistently exhibited a high degree of good sportsmanship,
loyalty, friendliness, kindness, and determination.
Mary Rives Dougherty
Yohance Whitaker
Haley Bauser received the David Ari Leavitt Award, given to the
junior or senior who has pursued some artistic, literary, intellectual,
or public-spirited endeavor with an exceptional degree of originality
and humanitarian concern.
Chandler Archbell won the Thomas McEntee Martin Award, in
recognition of initiative, originality, and creative ability.
The Class of 1952 Award, presented to the senior named by a
panel of outside judges to be the outstanding speaker of the senior
class, went to Andrew Balitsky.
The Royce E. Jones Award was awarded in memory of Royce
Jones, Director of Athletics, teacher, and football coach from
1961-1979, to Marquis Evans, the senior athlete whose spirit of
Jon Caughey
Haley Bauser
determination, commitment to high standards, sense of humor,
and positive self-image exemplify excellence within the school
community.
The DeShannon Artemis Taylor Award, given to a member of the
senior class who, like D.A. Taylor, has exhibited with enthusiasm
and dedication a true love for both learning and athletic competition,
went to Stephanie Katsias.
The John Connor Community Service Award, given to an Upper
School student who has contributed unselfishly to the Norfolk
Academy community and the greater Hampton Roads area, went to
Amy Yeh.
The Kathleen Murray Gibson Award, given to a Tunstall senior
Marquis Evans
Stephanie Katsias
who has made outstanding contributions to student publications at
Norfolk Academy, was presented to McCall Huston.
Amy Yeh
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McCall Huston
Emily Ho
Summer Sutton
Emily Davis
Kristi Fleenor
Of the two awards bestowed for excellence in the study of history,
the outstanding senior girl in this discipline, Haley Bauser, received
the Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Miles Award. Jack Stiffler accepted the
William Selden Memorial Award.
Josh Kerner won the W. Peyton May Award recognizing the
outstanding student in economics.
The Minnie Roth Campbell Award, given to a senior girl for
excellence in original writing, went to Emily Ho.
Thomas Brown received the Simcoe and Celia Glasser Award,
awarded an Upper School student for excellence in the writing of
poetry.
Two seniors were recognized for excellence in the study of
English. Chandler Archbell earned the William Henry Thompson
Loyall Memorial Award, and Summer Sutton accepted the Robert
D. Anthony Award.
The Arthur A. MacConochie Award, given in honor of Arthur A.
MacConochie, English Department Chair from 1967 to 1990 to a
senior boy for excellence in original writing, went to Greg Jones.
In honor of master teacher and writer Robert S. Sergeant, the
English Department awarded the Robert Stewart Sergeant Memorial
Writing Scholarship to Emily Davis as the most accomplished writer
in the senior class.
Amy Yeh received the George Newton Award, citing a senior
girl for excellence in the study of a modern foreign language. The
Calvert Rogers Dey Memorial Award, for a boy who excels in the
study of a modern foreign language, went to Chandler Archbell.
For excellence in the study of Latin, Andrew Balitsky accepted
the Robert W. Tunstall Memorial Award, and Iris Kim received the
Elizabeth Porter Bennett Award.
The Traylor Cozart Nunnally German Award, given in memory
of Traylor Cozart Nunnally to a fourth year German student who, by
hard work and enthusiasm, has achieved noteworthy success, was
presented to Kristi Fleenor and David Best.
Shanu Dhali received the Elizabeth Reynolds Parker Senior
Science Award for excellence in science. Andrew Balitsky was
presented the John H. Kepchar Science Award for excellence in
science.
Cam Fullmer received the Victor and Joyce Ratnavale Science
Award, given annually by the family and friends of the Ratnavales,
in memory of Victor and Joyce Ratnavale, to the student who has
shown the greatest enthusiasm for and interest in environmental
science or advanced biology.
For excellence in the study of mathematics, the Mary McCulloch
Moore Memorial Mathematics Award was presented to Shanu
Dhali, and the William Wadsworth Dey Memorial Award to Andrew
Balitsky.
TheArt HistoryAward, given to the senior who has demonstrated
the highest level of enthusiasm for and excellence in the study of Art
History, went to Aekta Javia.
The Fine Arts Award, given to the student who has encouraged
and promoted student participation in the arts, went to Kyle
Wijtmans.
Rafael Tiongco earned the Music Award, as that student in
Tunstall whose dedication and demonstrated leadership have
contributed most significantly toward the enjoyment of choral and
ensemble music in the school.
The Music Department awarded the George W. Sergeant
Memorial Music Scholarship in honor of Rob Sergeant to Emily
Leidy as the most accomplished senior vocalist.
Josh Kerner
Thomas Brown
Greg Jones
Iris Kim
Cam Fullmer
3

4
Aekta Javia
Rafael Tiongco
Anne Grace Norton
Jaxon Cramer
Recognized as the senior who has made the greatest achievement
in the creative arts, Ann Grace Norton received the Bell Award, in
honor of Virginia Thomas Bell, who was a teacher at The Country
Day School and Norfolk Academy.
The Musical Theater Award, given to a senior who has
demonstrated outstanding leadership, originality, and achievement
in the winter musical, went to Gray Miller.
The Theater Arts Award, given by Dr. and Mrs. David W.
Yacavone to recognize a senior who has demonstrated either on
stage or behind the scenes leadership, artistry, and excellence in the
field of theater arts, went to Jaxon Cramer.
The Drama Department awarded the Mary Frances Pitcher
Sergeant Memorial Drama Scholarship to Chandler Archbell as the
most accomplished actor or actress in the senior class.
Danielle Johnson accepted the John A. Tucker Award for the
senior girl who has made the greatest contribution to the girls’
athletic program. The Jeffrey Ross Kesser Award, given to the
senior boy who has made the greatest contribution to the boys’
athletic program, went to Chris King.
Headmaster Awards were presented to Thomas Brown, Danielle
Johnson, Shepp McCain, Jake Robinson, and Bridger Warlick.
Following the Headmaster Awards, Mr. Christopher Nelson,
Assistant Director of Upper School, and Mr. William Van Buren,
President of the Board of Trustees, joined Mr. Manning and Mrs.
Gorsline for the presentation of diplomas to the Class of 2012. In
addition to their diplomas, the following graduates also received a
Twelve Year Award: Trey Aston, Armin Bahrani, Andrew Balitsky,
Sam Bayles, Katie Bennett, Nicole Berlin, David Best, Annie
Brown, Thomas Brown, William Carney, Jon Caughey, Hannah
Chako, Stephen Clark, Wyatt Devine, Mary Rives Dougherty, Emily
Fleder, Kristi Fleenor, Jack Fox, Cam Fullmer, Ian Gregg, Abby
Hargis, Catherine Hauser, Claire Haycox, Nick Heller, Emily Ho,
Matt Hoffman, Will Hoppa, Josh Jason, Aekta Javia, Dani Johnson,
Stephanie Katsias, Iris Kim, Ben Leach, Emily Leidy, Jake Levy,
Shepp McCain, Gray Miller, Alley Moore, Ashley Moy, Daniel
Moyers, Brandon Mueller, Michael Nelson, Sean Noona, Ann
Grace Norton, Claire Penix, Erica Perlman, Bess Preddy, Nathan
Pyle, Charlie Rawles, Gabrielle Soussan, Alexandra Spiegel, Jack
Stiffler, Julia Strelitz, Jimmy Sykes, Alexis Turner, Anna Turrietta,
Bridger Warlick, Kyle Wijtmans, Amy Yeh, and Ryan Zahn.
Kyle Wijtmans
Emily Leidy
Gray Miller
Dani Johnson
Chris King Shepp McCain
Jake Robinson Bridger Warlick