Sixteen Jackson Academy students and two faculty members crossed the Performing Arts Center stage Thursday to receive the Cum Laude Society pin, indicating superior academic achievement. They joined previous student and faculty Cum Laude inductees of JA’s chapter, one of only four Cum Laude charters granted in Mississippi.
“Cum Laude membership is a tremendous honor, and I am so proud of our students inducted this year. These students challenge themselves to maintain high academic standards throughout their high school tenure,” said Head of Upper School Brandi Richardson, B.A., M.A. “Cum Laude inductees maintain strong GPAs, take the most challenging coursework that is offered at JA, and score exceptionally well on standardized college entrance exams. This group has a variety of natural gifts and talents, and I cannot wait to see how they contribute positively to the world around them as adults.”
English Teacher Sandra McKay, B.A., M.Ed., gave a brief overview of the selection process. “Since the granting of the Jackson Academy charter in 2005, students have been selected for induction by means of an objective process based on academic excellence,” she said. “This excellence is demonstrated by three criteria: grade-point average, standardized test scores, and participation in a challenging curriculum that includes honors and advanced placement courses.”
Students inducted this year are as follows:
Inductees
Class of 2023
- Molly Caroline Baldwin
- Elizabeth Jane Beckett
- Sarah Danielle Clay
- Lucy Brooks Elfert
- Emma Duncan Hogue
- Walker Patton Lake
- Elizabeth Grace Perkins
- Kelly Camille Towery
- Josh Burton Watson
- Olivia Claire Williford
- Parker Richard Yarborough
Class of 2024
- Mallory Lind Brooks
- Richard Eugene Deaton, Jr.
- Noah Robert Pressler
- Gautam Ray
- Titus Landon Taylor
They joined current senior Cum Laude members:
- Bailey Marie Berry
- Ishmam Yasar Bhuiyan
- Avery Anne Brooks
- Sophie Elizabeth Copeland
- Jeffrey Gao
- Houston Nicholas Carey Hearn
- Dev Anil Sharma
JA’s chapter inducted into Cum Laude Upper School English Teacher Sarah Bannerman, B.A., M.A., and Upper School Mathematics Teacher Amanda Smithers, B.S., MAT.
“Faculty membership to the Cum Laude organization is an honor. Faculty membership helps to maintain a standard of excellence, fairness, and confidentiality in the Cum Laude selection process,” said Richardson. “By adding additional faculty, we have subject area representation to include math, science, English, and social science. I am grateful for the time, energy, and investment that all Jackson Academy faculty and staff give to students in classrooms each day!”
The Cum Laude Society is a national organization created in 1906 to honor scholastic achievement in secondary schools. Modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, the society presently consists of about 380 chapters, primarily in independent schools, and inducts about 4,000 students annually. Advisors for JA’s Cum Laude Society are Dee Ball, B.A., M.A. and Katharine Todd, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
