Page 13 - Georgetown Preparatory School Alumnews Winter 2021

Peter Connolly ’20, President-of-the-Yard
Michael Emerson ’20, who attends Georgetown University, delivered the Commencement address.
Speaking to his classmates, Michael shared what Georgetown Prep and Jesuit education has meant to him. The following is an excerpt:
However, I think on this day, July 31st,
the feast day of St. Ignatius, we can see just why Ignatius intended for young men to be educated according to the ideals of the Society of Jesus. My father pointed out to me a significant pattern with our class. Most of us were born in the months leading up to or directly following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Never before had the United States experienced such an immediate, large-scale, loss of life in the heart and soul of the nation. A year later, our parents had to duck and hide on their morning commutes because of the
DC Sniper of 2002. Mass shootings and terrorist attacks have only been on the rise since our births, and climate change is ramping up each year. To
top it all off, the coronavirus came and inflicted massive amounts of sickness, death, and financial ruin, as well as snatching away these last few months of classes on this campus.
In many ways, it could be argued that we
are a doomed class. But this is not true. We are the answer. Our whole generation was born and raised in the ashes of trauma and anguish, and from
these ashes we will rise to combat global threats
as Jesuit-educated men. This is the truest form of generosity: using one’s talents to serve God and others.
For the past four years, our teachers have taught us about the inner workings of the natural world and humanity’s story in it. We’ve learned how a Christian ought to view the world, and what actions it takes to bring about justice.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic will end, the coming years will see the need of fresh hands to lift our global community out of the rut and up to new heights. The pandemic provides a key example to show how the world needs a new generation of Prep men. Health care professionals will be needed to reinforce the front lines against diseases and
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CLASS OF 2020 COMMENCEMENT AWARDS
Campus Ministry Award................................................................. Nolawi Ayelework Christian Service Award ............................................................... Brandon Thomas Hurt Athletic Director’s Award ........................................................... Jalen Alexander Hampton Resident Life Medal....................................................................... Hanzhao Kuang
Dean of Students’ Award ............................................................... Thomas John Williams, Jr.
....................................................................................................... Colton Josiah Ward Georgetown Prep Medals.............................................................. Shaoming Zhai
....................................................................................................... Benjamin Damon Bell ....................................................................................................... Ryan Anthony Mathis ....................................................................................................... Andrew Michael Emerson, Jr. ....................................................................................................... Somtochukwu Ezi-Ashi ....................................................................................................... Matthew Aaron Williams ....................................................................................................... John Dennis Donovan
Headmaster’s Award ....................................................................... Hanzhao Kuang
The Jesuit Schools Network Award ............................................ Thomas John Williams, Jr. Hillenbrand Medal ........................................................................ Peter Christopher Connolly, Jr. Archbishop’s Award for Catholic Citizenship .......................... Colton Josiah Ward
James G. Fegan Medal ..................................................................... John Boldt Strachan Wills-Roberts Medal ..................................................................... Walter Paul Miller
Alumni Memorial Medal ............................................................... John Stuart Plank
Williams Medal ............................................................................... Kyuchan Jeon
Jeffrey L. Jones Medal .................................................................... Christopher David Singleton, Jr. The Hamilton Medal...................................................................... Patrick John Gaul
ACADEMIC AWARDS 2020
Studio Arts....................................................................................... Liam Miller
AP Art Studio .................................................................................. Quentin Southall Prep Singers...................................................................................... Matthew Williams
....................................................................................................... John Dennis Donovan String Ensemble .............................................................................. Junhee Lee
Digital Photography ...................................................................... Weijia Tang
Jazz Band ........................................................................................... Edward McLain
....................................................................................................... Xiuqi Shen Recording Studio............................................................................. James Hathway
....................................................................................................... Harry Kaden Theater.............................................................................................. John Dennis Donovan
....................................................................................................... Hanzhao Kuang Theology ........................................................................................... Mark Llewellyn
....................................................................................................... Xiuqi Shen English .............................................................................................. Maxum Schropp Poetry ................................................................................................ Timothy Porter Thomas A. O’Callaghan Prize for English Composition......... Shaoming Zhai Biology .............................................................................................. Michael Landis Chemistry ......................................................................................... Kyuchan Jeon Physics ............................................................................................... Jingxiao Xia Environmental Science .................................................................. Ryan Pastor Rev. James T. Mulligan, S.J. Mathematics Award ....................... Junhee Lee
AP Calculus BC ............................................................................... Michael Landis
....................................................................................................... Jingxiao Xia
AP Calculus AB ............................................................................... Karl Alexander
....................................................................................................... Max Von Oertzen AP Statistics .................................................................................... Shaoming Zhai AP Computer Science...................................................................... David Koffi Robert Lee Hall Medal for Social Studies ............................... Xiuqi Shen
AP US Government & Politics ...................................................... Sage Dobbs
AP Government & Comparative Politics .................................... Patrick Gaul
AP Micro Economics ....................................................................... Kyuchan Jeon
AP Macro Economics ...................................................................... Jingxiao Xia
AP Psychology.................................................................................. Marco Nascone Latin .................................................................................................. Noah Smith French ............................................................................................... Jose Vallarino Spanish............................................................................................... Noah Smith
....................................................................................................... Max Morrell German .............................................................................................. Paul Rosenberg International Program.................................................................. Jose Vallarino
....................................................................................................... Xiuqi Shen Fr. Galvin Award............................................................................. Jack Plank
....................................................................................................... Chris Singleton
12th Man Award (football) .......................................................... Brian Maddox
Michael Boland Jr. Award............................................................. Patrick Donovan-Jenkins The Fuccillo Family Gridiron Award.......................................... Michael Emerson
ALUMNEWS | winter 2021 11