Upper
May 18, 2023
Senior Circle sees off Class of 2023
The entire Seven Hills School — and the seniors’ parents — gathered in a circle on the upper field to cheer for and send off the Class of 2023. With signs, cowbells, and foam fingers, Stingers of all ages rallied for the senior class as they ran around the circle. Juniors Grace Dunson, Callie Drew, and Carter Stevens did an excellent job hyping up the crowd, along with the cheerleaders. Seniors Anna Papakirk and Happy Quinn thanked everyone for their support. The seniors passed down the class flag to the juniors to hang outside the senior lounge next year. Thank you to everyone who made this wonderful event possible. And congrats to the Class of 2023!
Upper Schoolers Zoom with record-breaking researcher
The Upper Schoolers were honored to have a Zoom call on May 2 with Dr. Joseph Dituri, who is currently completing the historic Project Neptune 100 mission by living 100 days in an underwater habitat in a lagoon in Key Largo, Florida. Dituri answered student questions and shared his research into human biology, the effects of being under compression for 100 days, and how his work can be used for space travel. Dituri explained how his 28-year career in the U.S. Navy as a saturation diving officer sparked his interest in science and encouraged the Upper Schoolers to seek all pathways to find their passion for learning. “It doesn’t matter what a test says or where you go. Remember these things with certainty: have balance in your life and search for your own happiness. Whatever makes you happy is going to be the thing that floats your boat,” Dituri said. Dituri is set to emerge from his underwater habitat in June while the Upper School marine biology trip will be at Marine Lab in Key Largo.
Three students named Presidential Scholar Candidates
Seniors Erin Finn and Rohan Nambiar were named semifinalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program for their outstanding academic achievement and performance on their ACT or SAT tests. Senior Evan VordemEsche was named as a candidate. Finn received a perfect score on her ACT while Nambiar and VordemEsche both got perfect scores on the math portion of the SATs. “We are delighted that three members of the Class of 2023 — Erin, Rohan, and Evan — have received this wonderful national recognition,” Director of College Counseling Susan Marrs said. Each year up to 161 students are named U.S. Presidential Scholars and awarded the Presidential Scholars Medallion in June. The Presidential Scholars program began in 1964 and honors students who demonstrated excellent scholarship, leadership, and selfless service to others. It is one of the national’s highest honors for high school students.
Seven Hills has Two National Merit Winners
Congratulations to seniors Shanaya Bharucha and Rohan Nambiar for being named National Merit Scholars and receiving the highest recognition the organization provides. Neel Parameswaran received a college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship from Vanderbilt University. They and seniors Elias Buttress, Catherine McAndrew, Jack Ringel, and Evan VordemEsche were named National Merit Finalists. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition that honors academically talented U.S. high school students. Students qualify for recognition in the National Merit program with their scores on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Parent Panel on Immigration
As part of the sophomore class’ reading of “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri, the English departmentwelcomed a panel of parents to speak about cultural identity and their experience with immigration. The novel focuses on an Indian family who has moved to America and struggles to maintain the balance between their Indian roots and new American life. Touching on themes of the novel, the student moderators asked questions about the importance of food, identity, and immigration across generations. The English department also hosted a book club event for parents about “The Namesake.” With the help of junior parents Manish and Nupur Anand, the English department is working on a possible spring break trip to India in 2024 that would be a cultural tour of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.
Seniors Return to Lower schools
Members of the Class of 2023 went back to Doherty and Lotspeich to reminisce and say hello to their past teachers. Former Lotspeich students read letters from their fourth grade selves, and former Doherty students toured the campus and watched their fifth grade graduation video.
Art History visits Art Museums
Upper School students in Megan Whitt’s art history class visited two local art museums to enhance their studies. The students went to the Taft Museum of Art to see “Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry & C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art.” At the Contemporary Art Center, the students viewed “Ecologies of Elsewhere” and “Baseera Khan: Weight on History.” Senior Elias Buttress completed his Personal Challenge Project by becoming a docent at CAC. He wrote a visitor’s guide for the Baseera Khan exhibit and was able to give a personal tour to his classmates.
Alumni shares medical experience
Alison Chase H’58 spoke with members of the HOSA, or Health Occupations Students of America, Clubduring lunch on May 8. Chase shared experiences about her time working in medicine. She studied biology and nursing after graduating from Hillsdale and worked for five years at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and 23 years as a nurse practitioner at the Harvard Community Health Plan. She also spoke with Bridget Ancalmo’s biology class and shared how her biology class at Hillsdale inspired her to study biology in college.
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Five Stingers Sign to Play in College
Five Stingers from the Class of 2024 signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college.
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