Chagrin Falls High School (CFHS) inducted 32 students from the Class of 2021 into the Cum Laude Society. This society is among the oldest academic honor organizations in the country for high school students.
The Cum Laude Society was organized by Dr. Abram W. Harris, Director of the Tome School in Maryland, in 1906. He envisioned a society modeled after the well-known Phi Beta Kappa that would encourage and recognize true scholarship. Harris believed that a student’s scholastic achievement in secondary school was as important to recognize as other accomplishments made while in school.
The society is still based on three core values that come from Ancient Greece. These are Arete, which means moral goodness and living up to one’s potential; Dike, which is the concept of justice; and Time, which relates to being true to what is right and acting with honor.
The Cum Laude Society has 382 chapters throughout the United States, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canada, England, France, and Spain. Approximately 4,000 new student members are inducted each year and only 20% of the senior class may be inducted.
CFHS held the Cum Laude induction ceremony on April 8. It began with a welcome from CFHS Principal Monica Asher. Advisor to the society Lisa Salyers then gave a history and motto of the Cum Laude Society. The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Arlyce Seibert, president general of the national organization, and following her talk was the introduction and induction of the new society members.
This year’s Cum Laude Society members are:
Gillian Brown, Jeremy Cavanagh, Emily Collins, Mary Margaret Demangone, Elizabeth Foley, Noah Girard, Marley Goodwin, Marley Graham, Tallulah Haskett, Emily Heater, Lillian Karyo, Erin King, Aerin Krebs, Julius Lelonis, Brenden Levey, Owen Lewis, Paula Loudermilk, Owen McClintock, Iolana Monteux Arraiza, Dena Mossad, Olivia Nerpouni, Camron O’Connor, Jackson Quinn, Annie Scott, Madeleine Scott, Summer Snell, Riley Thompson, Benjamin Tinsley, Luke Volpe, Maris Walther, Liliana Winans, and Ian Zitney.
