Thirteen students were inducted into the St. Andrew’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society on Tuesday morning in a ceremony attended by the entire student body as well as the honorees’ parents. Seniors Alex Armbruster, Kristin Butler, Eric Magalhaes, Christopher Quintero, Amberleigh Ray, Brendon Stern, and Hunter Warburton were joined by juniors Peter Donahoe, Hannah King, Danny Knauss, Mackenzie Kynoch, Michael McDonnell-Diaz, andJosh O’Dell in being inducted into the honorary academic society.

The new inductees were welcomed into the Society by last year’s honorees Catherine Ahmad, Brian Bies, Aidan Herderschee, Layla Najjar, Izzy Schellenger and Aaron Sibarium as well as Cum Laude faculty members.

Upon induction, the newest members were given the charge by Headmaster Robert Kosasky to strive to make “some contribution to a greater understanding of our society and ourselves” as they continue to pursue academic excellence in the years to come as well as honor the Cum Laude Society’s three core principles of Honor, Excellence, and Justice.

St. Andrew’s Religion instructor Troy Dahlke gave the keynote address to the assembled audience. Dahlke, who teaches Service Learning, The Bible, 8^th grade Religion, Encountering God, and the 12^th grade Justice course, discussed the bravery of visitation and the bravery of openness in his address. As he noted, “These two aspects of bravery – of visitation and openness – are each awakened in the face of particular risks; risks that arise as life is threatened by “The Drive”.”

“A bravery born of blindness and the ensuing wisdom that the best of life, the very best we have, is not seized, but is visited upon us,” he stated. “In the end, this is the best we have: people and love and people we love and who love us; a brilliant sunrise; the joyous laughter of friends; even the surprisingly tender and thrilling dance at the Prom. These things are visited upon us. If we want to enlarge our lives, the best way is not by making the self larger; rather, the best way to have a larger life is to make the self smaller within it. This requires bravery.”

Dahlke went further to say that “the brave are not endowed with fortitude and courage, but with openness. Bravery is not the raising of the armor of self-protection, but is the putting down of that armor in order to fearlessly open the self to the needs of others, no matter how great or slight those needs may be, and no matter what that person thinks of you. It takes strength to be open, to be exposed to the needs of others, and to live fearlessly for them.”

Dahlke concluded by saying, “ I hope the bravery of visitation comes upon you. (And) When the Drive instinctively impels you to raise up your armor of self-protection, I hope you are endowed with the bravery of openness. I hope, I hope that you will be brave people in a brave world.”

The Cum Laude Society, which was originally founded in 1906 in Maryland, recognizes outstanding academic achievement as well as the qualities of good character, honor, and integrity in junior and senior students. St. Andrew’s is one of 368 member schools of the Cum Laude Society. Since 1987, St. Andrew’s has inducted 324 juniors and seniors in to the Cum Laude Society. Approximately 6,000 students in the United States and worldwide are inducted each year.