Students, Faculty Honored at Flintridge Prep’s Awards Ceremony

Flintridge Prep honored outstanding members of its community on June 2 with its annual upper school student and faculty awards ceremony. The afternoon event began with the presentation of faculty awards.

Science and dance teacher and Dance Department head Hilary Thomas received the Class of 1987 Award. Established by the school’s last sixth-grade class, the award is presented annually for outstanding service to the school by a member of the Flintridge community. The student body elects a winner from a pool of nominees selected by the faculty.

Citing her warmth and dedication during her five years at Prep, her accomplishments as a dancer, her directorial work with the school musical, and the exemplary community service Thomas provides through her dance company, Lineage Dance, Headmaster Peter Bachmann presented her with the award. Said a beaming Thomas, “I look forward to doing what I do every single day. I thank you for making this a wonderful place to spend all my time!”

Science teacher and 25-year Prep veteran Glen Beattie was the recipient of the Detoy Award. The award, made possible through an endowment by Virginia and Charles J. Detoy ‘42, is presented to a member of the faculty or staff who has, over a number of years, made a particularly significant impact on the Prep community.

Awardees are chosen by Administrative Committee from a pool of candidates nominated by students, parents, and colleagues. When presenting the Detoy Award, Headmaster Bachmann praised Beattie’s “sincerity, thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and professionalism,” characterizing him as “the person everyone goes to when something needs to be done.” Beattie thanked the assembled members of the Prep community, saying, “I feel incredibly lucky to be here. I do what I do because I love doing it.”

Afterward, student awards were distributed to Prep’s top academic, artistic, and athletic achievers. Receiving this year’s J.P. Blecksmith Memorial Award was Lauren Von Der Ahe of La Cañada Flintridge. The award, established last year in memory of fallen Marine J.P. Blecksmith ‘99, honors a rising senior who in the opinion of the administration embodies the qualities of leadership, scholarship, athletic commitment, personal integrity, mentorship, and public service personified by Blecksmith.

Von Der Ahe also distinguished herself by winning the Occidental College Book Award, as well as the Female Athlete of the Year Award (for the second year in a row).

Other winners of multiple recognitions included juniors Jean Ansolabehere (Brown Book Award recipient and National Council of Teachers of English Writing Award nominee), Pamon Forouhar (Kodak Young Leaders Award, Yale Book Award), Kate Tucci (Wellesley Book Award, Fathers Club Pursuit of Excellence Award), and Kristin Heintz (Dartmouth Book Award, University of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Science, Harvard Book Prize Award).

After the awards presentation, the Class of 2005 officially passed its freedoms and responsibilities to the Class of 2006. The audience packing Norris Auditorium extended its heartfelt thanks to outgoing Senior Class President Andrew Beck ’06 and outgoing commissioners Haley Osment ’06 and Ansley Orona ’06 for their leadership and many contributions to the school. Kate Tucci ‘07, the outgoing Commissioner of Projects, was also thanked for her hard work and welcomed as next year’s Student Senate Parliamentarian. The ceremony concluded with the installation of the following new officers: Senior Class President Kristin Heintz ‘07, Commissioner General Pamon Forouhar ‘07, Assistant Commissioner General Robert Lincoln ‘08, and Commissioner of Projects Rachel Tobias ’07.

Upper School Awards

Fathers Club Pursuit of Excellence Award, 9th Grade, Nitya Rajeshuni ‘09; 10th Grade, Tara Guarino ‘08; 11th Grade, Kate Tucci ’07.

Amherst Book Prize, Daniel McLaughlin ‘08; Occidental College Book Award, Lauren Von Der Ahe ‘07; University of Rochester Humanities/Social Science Award, Kristin Heintz ‘07; Kodak Young Leaders Award, Pamon Forouhar ‘07; Wellesley Book Award, Kate Tucci ‘07; Princeton Book Award, Isaac Jabola-Carolus ‘07; Harvard Prize Book Award, Kristin Heintz ’07 and Yale Book Award, Pamon Forouhar ’07.

Student Leadership Award, Ansley Orona ‘06; J.P. Blecksmith Memorial Award, Lauren Von Der Ahe ‘07; Athletic Department Award, Female Athlete of the Year, Lauren Von Der Ahe ‘07; History Dept. Award, Dartmouth Book Award, Kristin Heintz ‘07; Math Dept. Award, Yee Sui King Tom Award, Sarah Waliany ’09.

English Dept. Awards: Smith Book Award, Melody Aaron ‘07; Brown Book Award, Jean Ansolabehere ‘07; and National Council of Teachers of English Writing Award Nominee, Jean Ansolabehere ’07.

Foreign Language Dept. National Spanish Contest Winners, Level 2: Sarah Waliany ‘09, Madison Zeller ‘09, Jacqueline Reyes ‘09, Neil Ratnasoma ‘08, Leo Chick ‘09, Sara Tappin ‘09, Bryan Fairbanks ‘08, Michael Stanton ’09. Level 3: Danielle Allevato ‘08, Jessica Hsu ‘07, Alexis Ryan ‘08, Amanda Manker ‘08, Chardee Galán ‘07, Cody Boyce ‘08, Karina Ortiz ‘09, Level 4: Isaac Jabola-Carolus ‘07, Kristin Heintz ‘07, Raine Hoover ‘07, Jean Ansolabehere ‘07,

Ismael Martin ‘08, Gabriela Blunk ‘07; Adrian Rodriguez ’07

Fine Arts Dept. Awards, Visual Arts: Drawing & Painting, Celene Carrara ‘08’; Photography, Jesse Sheldon ‘07; Ceramics, Sean Carroll ’07 and MacKenzie Carroll ’07. Performing Arts Awards: Vocal Music, Jonathan Myers ‘07; Instrumental Music, Katelyn Benedict ‘07; Dance, Robyn Erickson ‘07; Drama, Raine Hoover ‘07; and Stagecraft, Jesse Sheldon ’07.

Science Dept. Awards: Biochemistry Achievement Award, Jeffrey Wagner ‘07; Bausch & Lomb, Stephen Chao ‘07; and Rensselaer Medal, Wesley Chen ’07.

Community Service Awards: 9th Grade: Kristen McAleenan ‘09; 10th Grade, Sean Kim ’08 and 11th Grade, Renee Chang ’07.