On Wednesday, May 1, in a special afternoon ceremony held in All Saints Chapel at the Episcopal School of Dallas, 14 members of the Class of 2013 were inducted into the academically-elite Cum Laude Society. New members include Arthur William Dietz Beckel, Mitchell Andrew Burden, Catherine Elizabeth Duffy, Baron Philip Farmar, Daniel Archer Hull, Randall Crawford Kob, John Wilson Miller,Thomas Blake Moore, Matthew Melchior Mrozek, Ellen Christine Sliva, Jordan Ann Shive,Jonathan Robert Stern, Grace Katharine Trammell, and Elexis Marie Witkin.

Before the inductees were recognized, ESD’s Assistant Head of Upper School for Academics, Erin Mayo spoke about the significance of the Cum Laude Society and the meaning behind the Latin phrase “Cum Laude” meaning “with praise.”

So let’s get back to that early question: what’s the verb here today? Or what collection of verbs? What are we doing ‘with praise’?

Celebrating– celebrating the consistent excellence of your academic choices and accomplishment.

Recognizing– recognizing that across fourteen individuals in a thousand different moments, each of you have prevailed as scholars despite the competing demands on your time and energy.

And—third verb– we are thanking you, with great praise and love, for the dignity with which you have approached ESD’s core work. With regard to this core work, you are the best of us, and we applaud you.

Sponsored by ESD’s faculty and staff who are Phi Beta Kappa members, this academically-elite organization recognizes students that have achieved superior academic achievement. Today, the Cum Laude Society organization includes approximately 380 chapters from independent and public schools in the United States, Canada, England, France, Spain, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines; 12 of the selected schools are in Texas. More information about can be found here.