Celebrating the Class of 2017

On the morning of May 20, proud parents and family members, faculty, and special guests gathered in the St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Chapel to celebrate the school’s 67th Graduation Exercises. The full school community joined together to celebrate the vast array of individual talents and unique skills of the Class of 2017, knowing that they leave our campus with the knowledge, talent, heart and desire to make a difference in the world.
 
St. Stephen’s graduates possess sharp minds, great and humble hearts, and strong spirits. They are as varied in their interests and abilities as they are in personality. Consider, for example, Delia Stephens, a three-season athlete, member of Jazz Band and mentor to younger students on campus. At graduation, Stephens received the Don Cunningham Memorial Award for lettering in three sports in her senior year and for demonstrating talent, leadership, dedication and sportsmanship throughout her time at the school.
 
“If I had only one word to describe this Cunningham Award Winner, it would be heart,” said Jon McCain, St. Stephen’s director of athletics. “She practices and plays with grit, treats her teammates with love and respect, and competes with a fiery passion in every sport that she plays. When I asked one of her coaches what her contributions to the program were, I received one word in response: immeasurable.”
 
Stephens earned Texas High School Lacrosse League All-State and Academic All-American honors. In Field Hockey, she earned All-SPC and National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Squad honors. She also earned multiple letters in soccer and tennis during her time at St. Stephen's. She also received the Coach David Paschall Award at graduation for outstanding accomplishments in academics and athletics. She has signed on to play field hockey in college.
 
Stephens also wowed her jazz band cohorts and teacher. Mark Kazanoff, jazz band director, watched her skills grow throughout her years at the school. “She started in Jazz Band in Middle School and transitioned to Upper School Jazz Band and Jazz Combo,” he noted. “Delia's playing has improved wonderfully over the years, particularly in the area of improvisation. She was one of our main soloists this year. She has set a great example for younger girls who might want to give jazz band a try!”
 
In addition to outstanding athletic and fine arts endeavors, Stephens has strived for academic excellence throughout her time at St. Stephen’s. In recognition of her hard work and dedication to her studies, she was recognized as a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist at the beginning of her senior year. Not one to rest on her laurels, she wrapped up high school with a Senior Novel Project prize. A capstone research and writing project for seniors, the project requires thoughtful reading and in-depth analysis of numerous classic and modern texts, as well as music lyrics and film scripts. In the fall, she will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
 
As amazing a student, athlete and artist that Stephens became during her high school years, she is not alone. All of St. Stephen’s graduating seniors are standouts in their own right, including:
 
  • Kisara Moore, who started a Japanese language and culture program for Austin youth in public libraries, won second place honors at the 2017 U.S. National Chinese Speech Competition in Boston.
  • Abigail Harman completed the Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program at NASA.
  • Henry Jones only applied to colleges with Major League Baseball franchises because he wants to be a front-office executive one day.
  • Bijou Kanyambo, who lived in refugee camps in Burundi and Rwanda, received the Spiritual Leadership Award, the Jan Hines Senior Leadership Award and a Proctor Medal at graduation.
  • Danyu Li is a professional gamer who is famous in China and ranked in the top 10 on "Hearthstone."
  • An outstanding pianist, Sarika Mullapudi raised thousands of dollars for the No Shame, Period Project, which provides sustainable feminine sanitary products to women in Haiti.
  • Charles Oh conducted research on globalization in Moscow and Singapore.
  • Abbie Sage teaches theatre classes and stages productions for kids with Down Syndrome.
  • Jazz Band member Elliott Trahan, who won Environmental Leadership and Spanish Language awards at graduation, has his own music group.
  • Kacey Vandervort coaches sports teams for kids with disabilities.
  • Reilly Wieland had bylines in multiple publications before she earned her high school diploma.
  • Derek Wu, who won the Athletic Leadership Award at graduation, is a policy wonk who participated in Model UN.
  • Ansley Arnow, a varsity letter winner, speaks Japanese and is a rodeo barrel racer.
  • National Merit Scholarship winner Mahria Baker is the top female Quiz Bowl competitor in the state of Texas.
  • Ruby Bowman and Cate Gillham won the Grand Prize for Best Production at the Girls Impact the World Film Festival.
  • Kiley Browne created a volleyball Instagram site with more than 100,000 followers.
  • Jackson Castro conducted research on stellar evolution with a UT astronomy professor.

2017 Medals and Honors
 
The Bishop John E. Hines Medal is named after the Rt. Rev. John Hines, founder of St. Stephen's Episcopal School, who was a man of extraordinary vision and bold action. The Bishop Hines Medal is awarded to the member of the senior class who maintained the highest academic standing throughout his or her junior and senior years. The 2017 Bishop Hines Medal was presented to Kisara Moore.
 
Named for the school’s first headmaster, The William Brewster Medal was established in 1960 by the St. Stephen’s faculty to recognize a member of the senior class who has made the greatest total contribution to the life of the school. The recipient is an engaged and talented student — strong across all disciplines and genuinely interested in “the life of the mind.” Elliott Trahan was named the 2017 Brewster Medal recipient.
 
The Dobbie Leverton Fenton Medal is awarded annually to a member of the senior class who promotes the values of social justice. This year’s Dobbie Leverton Fenton Medal was awarded to Kayla Thompson.
 
The Velberta Asher Towner Award in the Performing Arts is named for “Bert” Towner, a member of the St. Stephen’s faculty from 1958 to 1984 and a longtime chair of Fine Arts. This award is presented to a student who has excelled in the performing arts — music, drama and dance. This year’s Towner Award was presented to Sam Oberle.
 
The Rev. Charles Abram and Virginia Sumners Music Award is presented annually to a member of the senior class who has made the greatest overall contribution to music at the school. The 2017 Sumners Award recipient was Coco Chu.
 
The Anne Dewey Guerin Award is awarded each year to the member of the senior class who has made the greatest contribution to the theatre program. This year’s Anne Dewey Guerin award was presented to Alex Oberle.
 
The Catherine Elliott Montgomery Prize is awarded by a committee of teachers to a member of the senior class whose creativity, character and scholarship give promise of a contribution in history or the social sciences. The 2017 Montgomery Prize was awarded to Derek Wu.
 
The Don Cunningham Memorial Award is presented to a female and male senior who have lettered in three sports in their senior year and have demonstrated outstanding talent, leadership, dedication and sportsmanship. The 2017 Cunningham Award was presented to Delia Stephens and Hill Atwell.
 
The David Paschall Award was created to recognize and honor outstanding accomplishments of students in academics and athletics. To be eligible for the award, a student must earn a varsity letter during each term and maintain honor roll status during the fall and winter terms. This year’s David Paschall Award recipients were Ansley Arnow, Delia Stephens, Hill Atwell, Jackson Castro, Anna Hartzell and Valerie Morrow.
 
Congratulations to all the members of St. Stephen’s Class of 2017!
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Address: 6500 St. Stephen's Dr., Austin, TX 78746
Phone: (512) 327-1213