91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½

The event, which is part of 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½’s Family Weekend, is held to recognize 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½'s highest-ranking students—those with grade point averages in the top 20 percent of their class as determined by the previous year's record. The total number of Sarah and James 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ Day Scholars this year is 228.

Each scholar who earns a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0—the highest score awarded—also receives a Book Award, which bears a replica of the early college bookplate found on books in Hawthorne-Longfellow Library’s James 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ Collection. In this year’s ceremony, 107 scholars also received this award.

Additionally, the College honored fifteen Phi Beta Kappa students from the Class of 2025 and three from the Class of 2024. Two of those students, Shira Cooper ’24 and Yaerin Anna Han Wallenberger ’25, received the Almon Goodwin Prize, awarded to exemplary members of the academic society.

In her opening remarks, President Safa Zaki saluted the intellectual curiosity, discipline, patience, and creativity of the students being honored. “We ask our students to solve opaque and difficult problems, to read sometimes impenetrable texts, and to explore complex questions that resist easy answers,” said Zaki. “This is the hard work that at times happens in collaboration with others, but more frequently it happens alone, late at night, in libraries and labs and dorm rooms, and over coffee all across campus. The students we honor do that work with joy, passion, and purpose,” she added.

The annual fall ceremony includes two addresses, one by a highly recognized practitioner in a liberal arts discipline—from 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ or elsewhere—and one delivered by an outstanding 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ student. This year's speaker was Professor of Education Doris Santoro, and the student keynote address was delivered by Yeo Bondar ’27.

Bondar, who is Ukrainian and uses they/them pronouns, delivered an address titled “On Excellence, Impact, War, and Gold Stars,” which dealt with their physical and personal journey from Ukraine to 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ and back to Ukraine.

The talk explored Bondar's thoughts on where college students direct their energy, and Bondar's reflections on the notion of success. Bondar shared several memories in their talk, including the moment they received the invitation from 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ to speak at this occasion. At that time, Bondar was in a middle school building in war-torn Ukraine, working for an educational nonprofit. Bondar recalled the moment they came under Russian attack:

“It was the first day of the summer school I was helping organize as part of my internship, and we barely managed to get the first day going when the air raid alert went off, meaning all 130 middle schoolers and their teachers had to go down to the dark and dusty basement for shelter,” they said.

In this context, said Bondar, news of this award from 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ did not spark unadulterated joy. “Instead, it was an indicator—telling me I spent hundreds of hours keeping up my reputation of being a model student by figuring out what exactly each professor wanted: that is, being adaptable and compliant.”

However, added Bondar, the fact that they were not “completely happy” to receive the award is a testament to the quality of the education they’re receiving. “Sitting in that basement, listening to the overstimulating chatter of middle schoolers, made me feel at the right place more than I'd ever felt while doing schoolwork,” said Yeo.

Neverthess, they said, academic achievement is something to be celebrated, and Bondar urged their fellow students never to stop striving for excellence and holding themselves to high standards: “These things make you great. Doing all of this while facing all the pain, anger, and confusion that the world bestows you with makes you extraordinary humans.” Read Bondar's address. 

Santoro’s address, known as the Karofsky Encore Lecture, was called “Holding Space for Students.” The term “holding space,’” she explained, “tends to mean being able to be present with, while not encroaching upon, another. Usually, ‘holding space’ is related to providing opportunities for others to have their own experiences, convey their feelings, and develop their own strategies for approaching the world. It is about healing individuals, but also engaging in practices that mend tears in our social fabric,” she added.

“Students, when at our best we professors hold space for your newness; doing this provides us all with the opportunity to imagine futures more just, democratic, and liberating than the present we now occupy.”

A philosopher of education, Santoro conducts empirical research to study and theorize about the moral and ethical sources of teacher dissatisfaction and resistance, particularly in the public education system. In her address, she outlines various reasons why teachers become demoralized. Some, she said, became demoralized when faced with “back-to-work orders without the protection of masks or vaccines. Some teachers are demoralized as they witness their very identities becoming criminalized in schools. Some teachers are demoralized because they are expected to teach a distorted and dishonest version of US history,” says Santoro.

Over 90 percent of US children attend public schools, explains Santoro, and the teachers that educate them find themselves increasingly under attack, both physically and ideologically. “We must actively work to support public schools and their educators,” she implores. “Our democracy depends upon it.” Santoro says 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ students “have the capacity to make this change rooted in what you know about democracy, justice, and dignity.” She has faith, she says, in “the power of this educational community to transform the world.” Read Santoro's address.

Ceremonial music was provided by Skyla Hong ’26 on piano, who opened proceedings with Water Music by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759). After the singing of the alma mater, “Raise Songs to 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½,” Hong performed Grande Valse Brilliante in E-flat, by Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). View the program.

91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ began recognizing James 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ scholars in 1941 to honor undergraduates who distinguish themselves by excellence in scholarship and to commemorate the Honorable James 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ III (1752–1811), the College’s first patron. James 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ III—who asked that the institution be named after his father—was an agriculturist, art and book collector, and diplomat who served as Thomas Jefferson’s minister plenipotentiary to Spain.

By faculty vote in 1997, this commemorative day and scholarly distinction were changed to recognize both Sarah and James 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½, who were married from 1780 until his death in 1811. Like her husband, Sarah 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ gave many gifts to the College, including most of the 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ family portraits, which were bequeathed to 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ upon her death.