Senior Awards Announced
On Friday, May 24, 2013, the Marksmen of the Class of 2013 donned their white tuxedos and walked across the stage on the Cecil & Ida Green Commencement Theater, crossing the threshold from student to alumni. That evening Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg announced the recipients of the three Major Awards:
The J.B.H. Henderson Citizenship Cup Award is made by the faculty and presented by the Head of Upper School to the senior who has genuine concern for others and who is dedicated to the ideals of honor and justice.
The School Flag is awarded by the faculty and presented by the Head of Upper School to a senior for loyalty, dedication, and distinguished service to the School.
The Headmaster's Cup is awarded by the Headmaster with the advice of the faculty to the senior who best exemplifies the traits that St. Mark's seeks to foster in its students: the quest for excellence, intellectual curiosity and commitment, service to the School and community, and concern for others. This year, Mr. Holtberg broke with tradition and awarded the Cup to two seniors.
Additionally, numerous students received recognition for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2012-13 school year at the Upper School Final Assembly. The Headmaster announced the following 2013 senior award recipients:
For his outstanding performances on the St. Mark’s stage, for his inspiration of others around him for his gentle sense of humor, for his commitment to the Coffee House program, for his dedication to academics and his love of learning, for his positive embodiment of St. Mark’s School of Texas to the community at large, the faculty presents a special award to Will Altabef.
For unwavering service and commitment to the community, for his accomplishments in leadership, scholarship, community service and athletics, for his embodiment of the character and leadership of an ideal Marksmen, for the kindness he bestows upon those he serves, for exuding character and thoughtfulness, the faculty presents a special award to Kevin Bass.
For his consistent, outstanding scholarship; for his work with middle school boys through Telos; for his approaching life with perseverance, compassion, and grace; for his expressed gratitude for his St. Mark’s experience; for serving as an ambassador for our school, and for his national prominence as a debater two years in a row, the faculty presents a special award to Zachary Burdette.
For his guidance and leadership as Editor-in-Chief of the Remarker and captain of the varsity soccer team, for the passion he exhibits in all his endeavors, for his humility and collaborative nature, for the manner in which he makes others feel valued and included, for being named Texas High School Journalist of the Year, the faculty presents a special award to Daniel Hersh.
For his unquenchable thirst for truth, for his fierce but humble work ethic; for his selflessness and commitment to community progress, for his leadership in three varsity sports, and for his resilience in the face of injury and adversity, the faculty presents a special award to Harrison Hewitt.
For his feisty and passionate love of the craft of acting and the art of singing, for his scholarship and athletic accomplishments, for his outstanding performances on the stage, in the choir loft, and on the track, and for the respect, nurture, and guidance he gives to others, the faculty presents a special award to Taubert Nadalini.
For his peerless energy and endless devotion to making St. Mark’s a better place, for his dedication to the Community Service program, for his serving as an exceptional ambassador for the school both on and off campus, for his leadership and drive in the Robotics program, the faculty presents a special award to Milan Savani.
For his passion to make a committed difference in the lives of those less fortunate, for his diligence in setting the standards for honor and justice, for his commitment to the deep learning of academic subjects, for his leadership and indefatigability in pushing his water polo team to do its very best, and for his welcoming smile, the faculty presents a special award to Warren Smith.
For his dogged determination to involve himself gladly and fully in every possible St. Mark's experience, for his artistic vision and creative temperament, and for his leadership in co-founding the St. Mark's Poetry Club, the faculty presents a special award to Henry Woram.
Back
The J.B.H. Henderson Citizenship Cup Award is made by the faculty and presented by the Head of Upper School to the senior who has genuine concern for others and who is dedicated to the ideals of honor and justice.
This year’s recipient of the Citizenship Award began his St. Mark’s career in fifth grade. A mainstay and vice chairman of our Community Service Program, this young man extends himself to others generously and without any expectation for recognition. He is an exemplar of virtue, exhibiting concern for others at every turn. He is an exceptional writer, thinker, and reader who approaches his academic work with enthusiasm and skill. Member of the Cum Laude and Telos Societies, varsity tennis and cross-country participant, he leads by example and sets a standard to which we all should aspire. Noah Yonack is this year’s Citizenship Award honoree.
The School Flag is awarded by the faculty and presented by the Head of Upper School to a senior for loyalty, dedication, and distinguished service to the School.
This year’s recipient began at St. Mark’s in the first grade. Genuine, interesting, and likeable, he has participated in this community with genuine enthusiasm. Open-minded to his fellow students’ ideas, he is a great listener. Engaging, positive, and humble, this young man has pursued his every endeavor with a broad smile on his face. He has contributed to our well-being, not simply by joining, though join he has – Telos, Lion and Sword, Sherpa Club, head of the Chapel Committee and verger, tennis captain, and Philosophy Club. He makes us better because he puts others ahead of himself. He is a team player by definition. Cameron Hillier is the recipient of the School Flag.
The Headmaster's Cup is awarded by the Headmaster with the advice of the faculty to the senior who best exemplifies the traits that St. Mark's seeks to foster in its students: the quest for excellence, intellectual curiosity and commitment, service to the School and community, and concern for others. This year, Mr. Holtberg broke with tradition and awarded the Cup to two seniors.
The first recipient has invested enormous and focused energy into his every pursuit. A member of the Cum Laude Society, he represents the ideals of the scholar, athlete, artist, and gentleman. He loves a challenge and never stops in seeking to find solutions to problems of all kinds, large and small. Mathematics, history, you name it, he excels. He spearheaded a project to help save the Blackland Prairie and participated in UTD’s Nanoexplorers science research program. An accomplished distance runner and co-captain of the track and field team, member of the concert and studio bands, math and Quiz Bowl teams, and more, he earned national recognition from the Boy Scouts of America, receiving the Hornaday Silver Medal for his work in conservation. Additionally, he earned a 2013 President’s Environmental Youth Award, and the Nestlé Very Best in Youth Award for superior achievement in academics and community service. Chandler Burke is awarded the Headmaster’s Cup.
The second recipient is a member of the Cum Laude Society and superior scholar who is far from defined by his academic prowess. When his classmates were asked on their sophomore retreat whom they admired most, his name came up over and over again. And along the way, a classmate stated that ‘he is going to find a cure for cancer.’ Humble, self-disciplined, inquisitive, and giving, this multi-talented and multifaceted young man brings classrooms to life and inspires his peers to new intellectual heights. His writing exhibits a high level of engagement with complex issues. He has pushed and even exceeded the bounds of our curriculum. He is described by teachers of all disciplines as one of the best they’ve ever taught. He is a star of the math, JETS, and Quiz Bowl teams, a semi-finalist for the U.S. Physics Team. Hard-working, curious, and desirous of receiving and acting on feedback, he has emerged as a strong leader in his quiet, determined manner, and stories of his kindness to others and generous spirit abound. He tutors younger students dutifully; he coaches the Middle School Math Team artfully. This young man is captain of the fencing team and has taken time to organize the ultimate frisbee club. He has been humble and self-effacing throughout. The second recipient of the Headmaster’s Cup is James Rowan.
Additionally, numerous students received recognition for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2012-13 school year at the Upper School Final Assembly. The Headmaster announced the following 2013 senior award recipients:
For his outstanding performances on the St. Mark’s stage, for his inspiration of others around him for his gentle sense of humor, for his commitment to the Coffee House program, for his dedication to academics and his love of learning, for his positive embodiment of St. Mark’s School of Texas to the community at large, the faculty presents a special award to Will Altabef.
For unwavering service and commitment to the community, for his accomplishments in leadership, scholarship, community service and athletics, for his embodiment of the character and leadership of an ideal Marksmen, for the kindness he bestows upon those he serves, for exuding character and thoughtfulness, the faculty presents a special award to Kevin Bass.
For his consistent, outstanding scholarship; for his work with middle school boys through Telos; for his approaching life with perseverance, compassion, and grace; for his expressed gratitude for his St. Mark’s experience; for serving as an ambassador for our school, and for his national prominence as a debater two years in a row, the faculty presents a special award to Zachary Burdette.
For setting and achieving high academic standards, for his outstanding accomplishments as a cellist, and, above all, for his compassionate heart, which led him to found an organization that provides shoes for the needy around the globe, the faculty presents a special award to Aarav Chavda.
For his guidance and leadership as Editor-in-Chief of the Remarker and captain of the varsity soccer team, for the passion he exhibits in all his endeavors, for his humility and collaborative nature, for the manner in which he makes others feel valued and included, for being named Texas High School Journalist of the Year, the faculty presents a special award to Daniel Hersh.
For his unquenchable thirst for truth, for his fierce but humble work ethic; for his selflessness and commitment to community progress, for his leadership in three varsity sports, and for his resilience in the face of injury and adversity, the faculty presents a special award to Harrison Hewitt.
For his feisty and passionate love of the craft of acting and the art of singing, for his scholarship and athletic accomplishments, for his outstanding performances on the stage, in the choir loft, and on the track, and for the respect, nurture, and guidance he gives to others, the faculty presents a special award to Taubert Nadalini.
For his peerless energy and endless devotion to making St. Mark’s a better place, for his dedication to the Community Service program, for his serving as an exceptional ambassador for the school both on and off campus, for his leadership and drive in the Robotics program, the faculty presents a special award to Milan Savani.
For his passion to make a committed difference in the lives of those less fortunate, for his diligence in setting the standards for honor and justice, for his commitment to the deep learning of academic subjects, for his leadership and indefatigability in pushing his water polo team to do its very best, and for his welcoming smile, the faculty presents a special award to Warren Smith.
For his dogged determination to involve himself gladly and fully in every possible St. Mark's experience, for his artistic vision and creative temperament, and for his leadership in co-founding the St. Mark's Poetry Club, the faculty presents a special award to Henry Woram.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
