LFA News

Photo Gallery: Departmental Awards Ceremony

The final All-School Meeting of the 2023-24 academic year featured Lake Forest Academy’s departmental awards ceremony at The Cressey Center for the Arts. The event recognized outstanding achievements in English, Fine and Performing Arts, Global, History and Social Science, Library and Media, Mathematics, Modern and Classic Languages, and Science.

English
Senior English Award: Amber Nguyen ’24 and Daniya Nussipbek ’24
The Senior English Award is given to the senior who has shown excellence in the study of English.

Golden Pen Award: Claire Ireland ’24
The Golden Pen Award is given to a student who displays a genuine love for the written word and an appreciation of its beauty and power. 

Niswender Prize: Katie Martin ’25
The Niswender Prize is given to the student who has demonstrated the most improvement in expository writing during their junior year. 

The Spectator Award: Theresa Fu ’24 and Jason Xing ’24
The Spectator Award is given to the student who, in his or her work on The Spectator, has aspired to the highest standards of journalism.

The ELL Award: Jessica Xu ’27
The ELL Award is given to the student who has excelled in the study of English as a second language and who has taken advantage of all opportunities at LFA to master fluency and accuracy in both spoken and written English.

Fine and Performing Arts
The McCormick Fine Arts Awards for Outstanding Achievement are given in honor of Nettie L. McCormick, who attended Ferry Hall from 1872-1874.

McCormick Fine Arts Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama: Teagan Hubbard ’24
The McCormick Fine Arts Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Drama is awarded to a student who has demonstrated exceptional talent in theater and dramatic arts. 

McCormick Fine Arts Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Music: Tanya Ganesh ’24
The McCormick Fine Arts Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Music is awarded to the student who has exhibited outstanding skill, innovation, and impact in the field of music. 

McCormick Fine Arts Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Visual Arts: Dariana Yu ’24
The McCormick Fine Arts Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Visual Arts is awarded to a student who has demonstrated remarkable excellence and originality in the realm of visual arts. 

Everett E. Grace Music Prize: Kate Graham ’24 and Liam Paisley ’24
The Everett E. Grace Music Prize has been established to honor Mr. Grace’s lifetime of sharing music with young people. Awarded to the senior whose involvement in the Academy’s music program has been deemed by the department to have been most inspirational in encouraging the participation of others in music study and performance.

Pridmore Award: Charlie Griffiths ’24 and Thales Gao ’24
The Pridmore Award recognizes a senior whose enthusiasm and creativity in the fine arts have deeply influenced his or her education and had a unique impact on the Lake Forest Academy community.

Taylor Award: Elva Zong ’24
The Taylor Award recognizes a senior who has achieved excellence in studio arts, who has used his/her gift to express beauty and create joy, and who has been a dedicated member of the LFA community.

Theater Tech Award: Ernest Shao ’24
The Theater Tech Award is given to an outstanding senior or seniors who have demonstrated excellence and dedication to the construction, mounting, and design of a production.

Fine and Performing Arts Department Award: Evelyn King ’24 and Noah Cedergren ’24
The Fine and Performing Arts Department Award is awarded to the student or students who have displayed excellence in two or more of the fine arts and who have made a significant contribution not only to the Fine Arts program at LFA, but also to the artistic, cultural, and spiritual life of the school and community.

Global
Global Department Award: Henry Gold ’24
The Global Department Award is given to a senior Global Capstone student who has demonstrated a passion for global issues, excelled in the study of globalization, and developed strong skills in the four global competencies of investigating the world, recognizing multiple perspectives, communicating effectively with diverse audiences, and acting to address global challenges through community engagement. 

History and Social Science
World History Prize: Jahstone Martin ’26
The World History Prize is presented to the student who has demonstrated perception and proficiency in the study of World History.

Overdorf History Prize: Madison Rosen ’25
The Overdorf History Prize is presented to the student who has demonstrated perception and proficiency in the study of American History.

Raymond Delaplaine Burnet Prize in Economics: Harry Luo ’24
The Raymond Delaplaine Burnet Prize in Economics was established by Muriel A. Burnet '40. The Raymond Delaplaine Burnet Prize in Economics was established to honor and memorialize her father.  This prize for excellence in economics is awarded to a graduating senior who has an excellent overall academic record, participates in Academy life, and excels in economics.

Nelson Award: Noah Cedergren ’24
The Nelson Award is awarded to the senior who is judged to have exhibited general excellence in the study of history.

Library and Media
Library Media Award: Evelyn King ’24
The Library Media Award recognizes a senior who has demonstrated exceptional dedication in utilizing tools and resources in the Library and Media Commons, and has shown exemplary leadership skills in guiding and inspiring their peers in this pursuit. 

Mathematics
Mathematics Department Award: Yiwen Lu ’25 and Sahasrad Sathish ’26
The Mathematics Department Award is given to the underclassman whose hard work and rare insights into mathematics have enabled him or her to excel.

Ainsworth Award: Jerry Ren ’24
The Ainsworth Award is awarded to a senior who has excelled in the study of mathematics and who has rejoiced in doing so; in recognition of the years of loving service given by Sidney E. Ainsworth, teacher of mathematics, to two generations of LFA students.

Computer Science Award: Toby Nelson ’24
The Computer Science Award is awarded to a student who has demonstrated excellence in the study of computer science due to their dedication and commitment to the field.

Modern and Classical Languages 
Lynne B. Kulieke Award: Kendall Scales ’24
The Lynne B. Kulieke Award is awarded to a senior or seniors who have demonstrated excellence in the study of Spanish.

E. J. Barry Award: Noah Cedergren ’24
The E. J. Barry Award is presented to a senior or seniors who are deemed to have exhibited general excellence in the study of a language other than their own.

Stephen C. Ryder Award: Evelyn King ’24
The Stephen C. Ryder Award is given in honor of our esteemed longtime French teacher who dedicated 37 years to the students at LFA. The Ryder Award is awarded to a senior who has demonstrated love, passion, enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication to the study of French.

Chinese Award: Jamie Pruett ’24
The Chinese Award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to the study of Chinese.

Latin Award: Kinzie Reed ’24
The Latin Award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated excellence, commitment and dedication to the study of Latin.

Science
Louch Award: Daniya Nussipbek ’24
The Louch Award is given in honor of Sandra J. Louch, a former biology teacher and department head, who during her twenty-three years at Ferry Hall and Lake Forest Academy, inspired many generations of students with her enthusiasm for the many facets of science.  This year we are recognizing one senior who has achieved excellence throughout the science curriculum.