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The event, held in Main Lounge, Moulton Union, on Friday, May 4, 2024, recognized seven students for their leadership and service to ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, as well as for good writing. Four of the awardees submitted essays that have won them the honor of being asked to present speeches for the upcoming Commencement and Baccalaureate ceremonies. After a welcome address from President Safa Zaki, a total of seven awards were presented at the luncheon:

The Goodwin Commencement Prize and the Class of 1868 Prize are both awarded for written addresses that the students will present at Commencement, to be held this year on May 25. 

Colleen Doucette ’24 won the Goodwin Commencement Prize for her speech “The Skeleton Architecture of Our ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ,” which is about the Class of 2024’s experience through the beginnings of the pandemic. She also describes how the upperclass student vacuum presented that first-year class with what she calls a blank slate to create their own ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. The economics and English double major (with a concentration in creative writing) will speak about questioning and renewing traditions and how she and her classmates can take the lessons they learned from COVID-19 out into the world beyond ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. She says her talk takes inspiration from, among other things, “every person [she] has ever interacted with or spoken to in [her] time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.”

Dylan Richmond ’24 was awarded the Class of 1868 Prize for his presentation “White Pines,” which is inspired by a place’s ability to make you fall in love with it. This doesn’t just happen over time, says the dance and English double major. The love of place he describes embraces the active participants—those of us who are mindful of the little things in our days and who appreciate the relationships we have forged in our time here. In “White Pines,” Richmond also acknowledges the challenges that we know can feel impossible at times but, through his lens, we see how much those obstacles have to teach us, how in the process we learn and grow, and how we might just fall in love with ourselves too.

Two other students were recognized for their writing:

The DeAlva Stanwood Alexander First Prize went to Katharine Kurtz ’24, who will present the student address at the Baccalaureate ceremony on May 24. Her talk, “One Last Tour,” looks back at how the Class of 2024 navigated life at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ without upperclassmen, their metaphorical tour guides, to show them around their first year. Kurtz, who also won the Michael F. Micciche III Award (see below), notes that as she and her classmates moved through their time here, they became the leaders and guides and grew into the strong and compassionate class they are. The environmental studies and Italian coordinate major also draws inspiration from her work as an admissions tour guide, a job which she says gave her opportunities for reflection every time she led a new group of prospective students around campus.

The DeAlva Stanwood Alexander Second Prize was awarded to Mei Bock ‘24, who will serve as the alternate Baccalaureate speaker should any of the other award recipients be unable to deliver their speeches as planned. Bock, an English major with a concentration in creative writing, restarted the Quill literary magazine, where she was editor-in-chief. Quill had ceased publishing during the pandemic after having begun here at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ in 1897. She also worked as a curatorial intern at the Museum of Art. Bock’s speech is called “Lessons on Driving,” and she says it’s about what she has learned during her time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ through the metaphor of driving, having arrived here unable to drive. 

Leadership Awards were presented to four students for their exemplary conduct on campus:

The Andrew Allison Haldane Cup went to Gabrielle Phillips ’24

Originally given by fellow officers in the Pacific in memory of Captain Andrew Haldane, United States Marine Corps Reserves and a member of the Class of 1941, the cup is awarded to a member of the senior class who displays outstanding qualities of leadership and character.

Phillips is a sociology and education coordinate major from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. When asked, none of her friends, teammates, colleagues, or supervisors could figure out just how she manages to do it all.

As a head staff member of Residential Life, Phillips has volunteered over consecutive years for some of the most challenging assignments on campus, helping to build an inclusive culture across the College House system.

She is a talented danc