The Chatham Hall Class of 2024 graduated on May 25 with a ceremony on the Front Lawn.
Prior to the ceremony, the graduates, faculty and staff, and family and friends celebrated a Baccalaureate service in St. Mary’s Chapel. Chaplain Beth Barksdale, dean of the Chapel & Spiritual Life and director of entrepreneurship, delivered the Baccalaureate Address while Caroline Greganti ‘24 delivered the Senior Address.
“Seniors, know that you are always becoming,” Barksdale said. “Remember what you carry in your heart shapes the way you see the world … Now you are ready to go into the world, taking the spirit of Chatham Hall with you.”
After processing from the Chapel to the Front lawn for the Commencement ceremony, Acting Head of School Dr. Christian J. Proctor delivered remarks to the Class of 2024 before presenting several awards and certificates. Several new members of the Cum Laude Society were inducted for their superior academic achievement in an independent secondary school, including Ellery Blurton ‘24, Mikaili Madden ‘24, Catherine Nichols ‘24, Mia Swanson ‘24, Wenlin “Olive” Ye ‘24, and Xinyue “Stella” Zhang ‘24. Seniors Ellery Blurton, Caroline Greganti, Elinor Harrison, Catherine Nichols, and Yuchen "Tracy" Tian were awarded Global Scholar certificates while Stephanie Cano Barranco, Yuyang “Vicky” Gao, Alina Gerasimova, and Tian were recognized with Global Entrepreneurship certificates for their completion of the two-year program.
Greganti was also recognized as this year’s Honor Council president with the Honor Council Award while Cano Barranco was recognized with the Purple & Golden Rule Citation for being the graduate who best lived the precepts of the Purple & Golden Rule and educated others into an understanding of it. The Lillian Evans Lineberger New Girl Award, which recognizes a New Girl who is an excellent student, outstanding citizen, and superb influence in the School, was presented to Allie Midkiff ‘27.
Department awards also recognized senior achievements, including:
Class of 2012 Athletic Award: Caroline Keating
Anne Dickinson Beal English Department Award: Ellery Blurton
Catherine Ingram Spurzem Award for Creative Writing: Catherine Nichols
Fine Art Department Award: Hongyi “Krystal” Lin
Adora Prevost Ragsdale Dance Award: Mikaili Madden
Sherwood Dramatic Award: Hadley Busbee, Catherine Nichols, & Sophia Taylor
Helen Gregory Yardley Award for Sculpture: Keri Campbell
Music Department Award: Yuyang “Vicky” Gao
History Department Award: Hadley Busbee & Catherine Nichols
Religion Department Award: Alina Gerasimova
Dixie Hargrave Whitehead Mathematics Department Award: Xiran “Rosey” Yang
Science Department Award: Xinyue “Stella” Zhang
World Languages - French Award: Stephanie Cano Barranco
World Languages - Latin Award: Wenlin “Olive” Ye & Catherine Nichols
World Languages - Spanish Award: Mikaili Madden
The Trustees’ Scholarship Medal, awarded to the senior whose cumulative grade point average at Chatham Hall is the highest in the graduating class, was presented to Swanson. Greganti was presented with the Rector’s Medal, awarded to the senior girl who, in the judgment of the Rector and recognition of the faculty, best represents the ideals of Chatham Hall in the contribution she has made to the life of the School throughout her years at Chatham Hall.
Congratulations, Class of 2024!
Ellery Ford Blurton
Mia Bode
Hadley Mary Busbee
Keri Michelle Campbell
Stephanie Cano Barranco
Yuxi Chen
Isabella Emily Dunn
Kaegin Anne Bayard Fisk
Yuyang Gao
Ketevan Garakanidze
Alina Yurevna Gerasimova
Caroline Grace Greganti
Elinor Glenn Harrison
Olivia Rose Kauffman
Caroline Celine Keating
Hongyi Lin
Mikaili Nyala Leslie Madden
Elizabeth MacLaren Mantz
Meaghan Elizabeth Merritt
Catherine Rogers Nichols
Aidan Mackenzie O’Kelly
Hanna Parsonian
Julia Gabriela Schultz
Mia Fay Sulei Swanson
Sophia Estrella Taylor
Yuchen Tian
Xiran Yang
Wenlin Ye
Xinyue Zhang