Upper School students recognized with academic and Sacred Heart awards at Prize Day

Prize Day is a beloved Sacred Heart tradition—a time when academic awards and recognitions are given, and we pause to celebrate the many accomplishments of each student on her journey toward the highest honor we bestow: the Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart diploma. The ceremony recognizes members of the junior class for academic achievement, presents longstanding Sacred Heart awards across divisions, and culminates in senior awards that reflect both intellectual distinction and character rooted in the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education.

Below is the list of special honorees. Click here for photos 

Junior University & Book Awards

• The University of Rochester Bausch and Lomb Science Award for outstanding achievement in science is presented to: LAUREN LEE
• The Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, given by the University of Rochester, honors a student committed to social justice, community engagement, and academic excellence in the humanities: HADASSAH BROUGHTON
• The Hubert Alyea Award, sponsored by Princeton University and the American Chemical Society, is awarded to: CLAIRE MCLAUGHLIN
• The Princeton Book Award, presented by the Princeton Area Alumni Association for academic excellence and civic engagement: FATIMA EL BANNA
• The Yale Book Award, for outstanding character and intellectual promise: GANEEV KAUR
• The Dr. Alan C. Pugh Award is presented annually to a junior who exemplifies intellectual curiosity, as well as respect, acceptance, and compassion for her classmates: ISABELA STOLTENBERG

Junior James J. Hughes, Jr. Sports Award

• Presented to juniors who exemplify athletic excellence, sportsmanship, and commitment to team:
  BETSY MURPHY

Barat Award

Recognizing student-selected leaders in compassion, balance, and good judgment:

• Grade 9: AVA TETI
• Grade 10: ELAINA RYAN
• Grade 11: MAYAH CHENNAULT
• Grade 12: GLORIA WANG

Senior Departmental Awards

• English – For writing and achievement: ANNIKA ALDEN-SIEGEL and SAMANTHA FELDMAN
• History – ANNIKA ALDEN-SIEGEL
• Mathematics – NAJMA TAHIRY
• Computer Science – NAJMA TAHIRY
• Science (Peter and Delia Mark Award) – PENNY YE
• Theology –
  • Bishop Ahr Medal: LEILA HERNANDEZ-LEWIS
  • Departmental Award: TAYLOR STATES
• French (Hilda Ronel Prize) – ANNIKA ALDEN-SIEGEL and GLORIA WANG
• Spanish (Mary Anne Guerrero Award) – ABIGAIL CHIRIK and PARI HAZAVEH
• Visual and Performing Arts
  • Visual Art Award – ARIA ZHOU
  • Performing Arts (Theater) – ANNIKA ALDEN-SIEGEL

Senior Athletic Awards

• Departmental Award for Athletics — TAYLOR STATES
• Sportsmanship Award – ABIGAIL CHIRIK 
• Carrol Florkiewicz Award – KIRSTEN BRENYA

Special Recognition

• Lifer: Syndey Anderson 

Senior Sacred Heart Goal Awards

• Goal I: A Personal and Active Faith in God - NANA AKUA KEN-KWOFIE

• Goal I shapes every part of Nana's life, from her quiet integrity in the classroom to her courage to choose what is right, even under pressure. Deeply rooted in her spiritual community, she lives out her faith in action—serving as a reader at Mass, leading in her church's youth group and district chaplaincy, and offering her gifts through the media and music ministries. Having sung before her congregation since she was five, Nana brings genuine joy and devotion to all she does, embracing both of the faith traditions in which she was raised. Nana's steadfast values of compassion, service, and gratitude make her a true witness to a faith that is both deeply personal and vibrantly alive.

• Goal II: A Deep Respect for Intellectual Values - ANNIKA ALDEN-SIEGEL

  For Annika, learning is her greatest joy in life. A wide-ranging scholar with boundless curiosity, she pursues knowledge for its own sake—staying after class to chase an idea down an unexpected tangent, requesting more challenging essay prompts, teaching herself Latin, and weaving together art, history, and family in projects that are as personal as they are profound. Taking on a most rigorous course load, Annika seeks challenge because every subject opens another window onto a world she is eager to understand. Her genuine love of learning, paired with her kindness, humility, and creative spirit, makes her a living testament to the life of the mind.

• Goal III: A Social Awareness Which Impels to Action - ABIGAIL CHIRIK

  Abby lives out the Sacred Heart conviction that we are called to serve the common good in an interdependent world. Service is a core value and source of purpose for her, instilled from a young age. It is why a fifth-grade video about children born with cleft conditions led her to lead Operation Smile and travel to India to witness those life-changing surgeries firsthand, and why she returns each summer to the Appalachia Service Project, where she has learned that behind every task is a family who has trusted her team in their time of need. With empathy and energy, Abby naturally draws peers into the work alongside her, and her lifelong commitment to serving others makes her a fitting recipient of this honor.

• Goal IV: The Building of Community as a Christian Value - ZIANG VIVIAN WANG

  Vivian learned through her own journey how vital a welcoming environment is to a person. As International Affinity Group Leader and Tartan Tour Guide who gives tours bilingually, she works to ensure that everyone—especially those far from home—feels seen and supported. She brings others together using her talents, too, choreographing the eighth-grade musical and mentoring younger students in dance, uniting them through the joy of performing. Vivian believes that community is built by listening to all voices—loud, quiet, misunderstood—and she carries this into her leadership. Grounded in tolerance, empathy, and gratitude for the community that embraced her, she makes our school a place where all belong.

• Goal V: Personal Growth in an Atmosphere of Wise Freedom - DANIELA MAYEN-VELIZ

  The transformation that Dani has made throughout upper school has been remarkable. She arrived at Stuart as a ninth grader navigating many changes in her life. Through her resulting resilience, she came to understand that true freedom lies in extending patience not only to others, but to herself, too. Guided by a renewed faith in God, Dani discovered that even the smallest act of kindness can leave a lasting impact, and that the most significant growth comes from choosing to forgive and to love. Grounded in faith, proud of who she is, and gifted with the ability to connect with others, she is a young woman of courage and empathy who is ready to fly.