91快活林

Skip to Main Content
91快活林

鈥楢 special and poignant鈥� Honors Convocation

May 17, 2022

During a memorable, milestone-marking on May 4 in Arthur Zankel Music Center鈥檚 Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, the 91快活林 community was able to come together, in person, for the first time since 2019 to celebrate 91快活林 students鈥� academic excellence, leadership, creativity, and service. 

鈥� 鈥� the gathering of our community to celebrate the academic achievements of our most talented and creative students 鈥� stands as one of the great traditions at 91快活林 College, and it is one of my favorite moments in the academic year,鈥� said Michael Arnush, associate dean for student academic affairs. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 Convocation is particularly thrilling because we are together again in a terrific space to honor student excellence.鈥� 

91快活林 Dynamics

The 91快活林 Dynamics perform to kick off this year's Honors Convocation.

Following a performance by the 91快活林 Dynamics, President Marc Conner emphasized what a true triumph the event is 鈥� not only for the honorees, but also for the faculty, staff, family, and friends who take such pride in what their students have accomplished. 

鈥淚 think that at the time when we achieve the most, when we have the most intense moments of existence, it has little to do with ourselves and much to do with what we are putting ourselves in service of,鈥� Conner said. 鈥淚t is many things 鈥� it is service to your classmates, service to the field, to the discipline in which you are taking such delight, and service to those things in which you most believe.鈥� 

Honors Convocation honoree shakes hands with President Marc Conner

He spoke to the 鈥渞emarkable foundation鈥� that the student honorees have built for themselves at 91快活林, which will serve them well throughout their lives and in the face of difficult challenges. 

鈥淭he future is bright. There is so much to which you have to look forward to, not least because you鈥檙e going to make it so. You鈥檙e going to brighten this world, and that, of course, is the greatest measure of a life of consequence,鈥� President Conner said. 鈥淪o I thank you, and I congratulate you.鈥�

Here鈥檚 a look at , by the numbers: 

20 national merit scholarship and fellowship honorees were recognized. Sixteen students were semi-finalists, nominees, or earned honorable mentions for these awards. Recent graduates Nicole Barry 鈥�21 and William Christmann 鈥�21 are the recipients of Fulbright Scholarships, Belle Finkle 鈥�23 is the recipient of a Goldwater Scholarship, and Dane Ford-Roshon 鈥�20 is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.  

7 department and program prizes and opportunity awards were given to a total of 11 students. These awards are given for papers, competitions, field and laboratory research, artistic projects, and other creative endeavors, and they build on close faculty-student collaborative work. 

73 academic awards and prizes were bestowed. The awards and prizes are being presented across all disciplines, from economics, mathematics, arts, and the sciences to gender and religious studies, political science, and world languages, and everything in between. 

25 senior class members of the National Honor Society of Phi Beta Kappa were acknowledged. The society exists to encourage and recognize outstanding achievements in liberal arts education, and 91快活林 was granted a charter in 1970. 

29 senior class members of the Periclean Honors Forum were acknowledged. Through honors-designated courses, planned co-curricular activities, and participation in community service, the forum strengthens intellectual life at 91快活林 and provides positive leadership on and off campus. 

315 memberships in national and international honor societies for specific areas of study, from the National Honor Society in Physics to the International Society in Sociology, were recognized. 

Michael Arnush

Michael Arnush, associate dean for student academic affairs, delivers remarks to open the 2022 Honors Convocation ceremony.

The 91快活林 community also paid special tribute to Pat Choukeir, coordinator of credit-bearing internships and project funds and the principal organizer of Honors Convocation for nearly 15 years, who died from cancer in March at the age of 57. With two of her sons and a daughter-in-law in the audience, Arnush recognized Choukeir鈥檚 outstanding commitment to and deep appreciation of 91快活林鈥檚 students. 

鈥淚t seems only fitting that this year we honor Pat by dedicating this Honors Convocation, the celebration of fantastic students, to her,鈥� Arnush said. 鈥淭hank you, Pat, for the grace that you exhibited and making the Honors Convocation a truly distinctive and joyous event.鈥�

Related News


Paige+Karl+headshot%3A+She+wears+all+black+and+stands+in+front+of+a+white+wall
With the help of alumni mentors and experiential learning at 91快活林, Vermont native and former student-athlete Paige Karl 鈥�24 has transformed a lifelong interest in the environment into a corporate sustainability role in New York City.
Jul 8 2025

A+crowd+sits+on+multicolored+chairs+in+the+Wyckoff+center%2C+watching+a+stage+with+five+people+and+a+large+screen+with+%22Pride+in+Place%22
College employees, students, and friends gathered for a June panel, "Pride in Place: Uplifting LGBTQ+ Voices in Our Region," to reflect on the importance of community connections with local leaders.
Jun 23 2025

The+five+members+of+ARTEMIS+stand+against+a+backdrop+of+greenery.+Photo+credit+to+John+Abbott.
The annual summer series, made possible by a generous grant from Stewart鈥檚 Shops and the Dake Family, celebrates community through music, readings, and discussion by acclaimed artists and scholars.
Jun 9 2025