On October 7th, Belmont Hill honored its tradition of academic excellence with a powerful message for the future at the annual Cum Laude Academic Awards Chapel. A staple at Belmont Hill, the event highlights students’ academic excellence across various subjects. The chapel saw the induction of nine Form VI students into the prestigious Cum Laude Society, which honors academics and character. Leighton Calhoun ’27, Connor Emmert ’27, Alejandro Laidlaw ’27, Maxwell Ramanathan ’27, Maksim Roman ’27, Adam Shaff ’27, Gabriel Umlas ’27, Emerson Walker ’27, and Andrew Waugh ’27 were this year’s honorees.
While the ceremony celebrated the academic accomplishments of the Cum Laude students, the faculty also recognized other Belmont Hill boys for earning AP awards and winning project-specific prizes. Jaiden Lee ’26 and Sammy Flood ’26 won the Profile Prize, and James Keefe ’25 won the Donato Monaco American History Prize for his paper titled, “A Practice So Repugnant to Catholic Feelings: U.S. Catholic Anti-Slavery movements in the Ante-Bellum and Early Civil War Eras.”
Dr. Jinane Abounadi, the Executive Director of the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund, capped off the chapel with an inspiring speech. In her remarks, Dr. Abounadi congratulated recipients of the Cum Laude title and challenged students to view learning as “more than just a pursuit of high grades or rankings.” She stressed the importance of education and curiosity: “learning is not solely about grades, GPAs, or rankings. It’s about fostering a genuine enthusiasm for knowledge.” In her speech, Dr. Abounadi shared her journey from Morocco to a distinguished career in computer science and engineering and urged students to embrace their roles as lifelong learners.
A central focus of her speech was the role of artificial intelligence in modern-day learning. Dr. Abounadi encouraged students to engage thoughtfully in AI and integrate it into their education. She also proposed using the tool to ask more profound questions and take advantage of its wide accessibility to the internet rather than relying on it for quick answers on an assignment: “Your ability to learn and use the resources available to you will empower you to navigate whatever changes lie ahead.” In her speech, she gave the example of fracking and explained how one could learn more about the practice through AI.
As Belmont Hill constantly celebrates student accomplishments, boys will look to utilize their own curiosity and intellectual growth throughout the year, taking in the wise words of Dr. Abounadi.
Indresh Chandel