2025-2026 Cum Laude List

by Lily Oh ‘27

Lucas Jiang

Sherry Mi

Joanna Ng

Ivy Song

Abby Stone

Alice Wang

Catherine Zhang

Elijah Abraham

Flora Zhu 

Ian Cho 

Class of 2026 Matriculation List - as of May 11, 2026

by Feifei Cao ‘27

Babson College

Bates College (2)

Bentley University

Boston College (10)

Boston University (3)

Bowdoin College

Brandeis University (2)

Brown University

Bryant University

Bucknell University

California State Polytechnic University (Pomona)

Case Western Reserve University

Colby College (2)

Colgate University (3)

College of the Holy Cross (2)

Columbia University

Cornell University (5)

Duke University (3)

Emerson College (2)

Fairfield University (3)

Georgetown University

George Washington University (2)

Georgia Institute of Technology (2)

Haverford College 

Hobart and William Smith Colleges 

Ithaca College

Loyola University New Orleans

Manhattan University (2)

Middlebury College (3)

New York University (4)

Northeastern University

Northwestern University

Oxford College of Emory University

Providence College (2)

Purdue University (2)

Rhodes College

Rice University (3)

Saint Anselm College (2)

Smith College 

Stonehill College

Swarthmore College

Trinity College (3)

Tufts University

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Chicago (2)

University of Miami 

University of Michigan (3)

University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)

University of Rochester

University of Southern California

University of St Andrews

University of Wisconsin

Villanova University (3)

Wake Forest University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wesleyan University (2)

Yale University (2)

Reunion Day

by Joanna Cheng ‘29

From May 1st to 2nd, St. Mark’s prepared to welcome back generations of Lions for Reunion Weekend. From the Class of 1976 to our most recent alumni, the campus was filled with stories, laughter, and the kind of connections that only years and shared hallways can build.

On Friday, the weekend kicked off with the arrival of our 50th Reunion class. As all reunion classes began arriving, student tour guides led campus walks, bridging the gap between past and present with every story shared.

Saturday brought a celebration. The day opened with the St. Mark’s History Session, kicking the session off with how our school has evolved from the past to the present. Later that day, Master Classes met the Athletic Hall of Fame, honoring Lions who went above and beyond on the fields and courts.

This weekend was far more than just a meet-up. It was a homecoming. For our alumni, this weekend was a rare chance to step back into a place that shaped them: to walk the same hallways, sit in familiar classrooms, and remember how they united before the world pulled them in different directions. For current students, it was a living lesson, a reminder that the desks we sit in today once held future doctors, artists, engineers, and leaders. The 50th reunion alumni will tell you what this place meant to them and still means. Reunion day grounds us. They show us that St. Mark’s isn’t just a stop, it’s a lifelong story. 

At St. Mark’s, you never really leave. You just wait for the next reunion.

Preparing for Next Year

by Serena Lin ‘28

As the cherry blossoms rain themselves through the last stages of bloom, the footsteps of the next school year tread near. Students at St. Mark’s School are busy preparing for the start of the next school year. Despite the pending finals and AP pressure, students still have to prepare for a smooth transition into summer as well as the beginning of another year. This year, many changes were made compared to last year. 

Housing Selection

Rising IV, V, and VI formers are required to participate in a housing selection process to assign themselves the dorm they want to live in. Before Spring Break, the application for dorm prefects (rising V and VI-formers) was closed. Applicants were able to choose for themselves whether they were willing to live in the freshmen dorms or get randomly assigned to other dorms. There were 4 selected for each girls dorm and 3 selected for each boys dorm through interviewing, dorm parent recommendations, and advisor comments. 

The possible housing locations are the following:

VI & V Boys' Houses: Coe, Sawyer, Thieriot South, Patterson Maple

VI & V Girls' Houses: Gaccon, Thayer, Thieriot North, Sculley Elm

IV Boys' Houses: Coe, Sawyer, Thieriot South, Patterson Marr, Patterson Maple

IV Girls' Houses: Gaccon, Thayer, Thieriot North, Patterson Pine, Sculley Elm

In the housing selection process, each student was assigned a lottery number. The smaller the number is, the earlier the choice they get on housing. Though dorm prefects participate in the lottery, they are not included in the housing selection. There are also limited single rooms assigned to each grade level. If a student wished to live in a single room, they had to participate in the Single Room allocation on April 28th, 8 pm in the Lion’s Den. The same rule applies: the lower the number, the likelier they are to get a single. There were only a very limited number of single rooms, so not everyone who wanted a single room got one. 

People who did not get a single room allocation entered a double room allocation, with VI form housing selection on May 14th and lower form housing selection on May 18th. Before the room allocation, students will have to fill in a roommate agreement form signed by both roommates and their advisors. If there is no preference for a specific roommate next year, the student would be assigned one with similar living habits.

Though not everyone gets to live in the dorm they wish: either a single, a loft, or the new dorm, St. Mark’s School promises a bed for every single one of our students.

Advisory Selection

Advisors play a large role in boarding school life. Rather than a teacher, an advisor takes a more parental role in student life. They are the adult on campus who knows the students well and hold responsibility over them. At the end of the year, students indicate their preferred advisories for the next school year.

This year, changes in Advisory happen a little differently from what was done last year. In the 25-26 school year, a form was sent out to all students, asking them to indicate whether or not they are willing to change their advisory, and ranking the top 5 preferences of them. But this year, in order to dive deeper into the preferences of students and to help them better, every student who wishes to change their advisory has to schedule a 10-minute meeting with Dr. Fish. During the 10-minute meeting with Dr. Fish, topics such as how the student does not suit the current advisor, as well as what would be a good fit for students next year, are brought up. 

Though not all students get assigned to the specific advisory that they wish to join, there will always be a faculty member who is responsible for the student on campus. The advisors, working together with the school, try their hardest to ensure the academic and personal success of students.

Course Selection

The Course Selection also works differently this year. Last year, one-to-one advisory sessions were scheduled for each student, and the courses were decided within 30 minutes in front of a computer screen. This year, the course selection process was expanded over the span of two weeks, allowing students more time to reflect on their interests and make thoughtful decisions.

In the first week, students talk with their advisors about their course preferences, discussing not only academic requirements but also personal goals, workload balance, and plans. These conversations are more exploratory in nature, encouraging students to ask questions and consider options they may not have previously thought about. Additionally, to give a better idea of what each course is about, a course fair was held on April 27 and 28, where a basic introduction to each course was provided.

During the fair, teachers and student representatives shared insights into course content, expectations, and assessment styles. Students were able to move freely between booths, gather materials, and engage in informal conversations. This more flexible and interactive approach helps students feel better informed and more confident when finalizing their course selections in the following week.

By giving students guidance and opportunities to explore, the course selection process makes students more confident and well-prepared for the year ahead.

Overall, these changes show how the school is really trying to support students in a more thoughtful and personal way. Even if things do not always go exactly as planned, there is a clear effort to listen, guide, and make the process less stressful. With everyone—teachers, advisors, and students—working together, the school becomes a more welcoming and understanding place, helping students feel more comfortable, prepared, and ready for the year ahead.

Lions Roam 2026

by Zoey Lee ‘27

This year’s Lions Roam was named “Surfacing the Past: Museum Design Through Artifacts” and they travelled to Sweden this March for two weeks. The course was offered in the fall, and they learned about Scandinavian history, museum design, analyzed art, and designed their own museums. According to the Guiness World Records, Sweden has the most museums per capita as of 2021, so it makes sense that they went to Sweden, for its abundant and diverse museums. Specifically, Mr. Spalletta and Ms. Griffin thought that the Vasa Museum offered an interdisciplinary experience that would attract people with many different interests. They went to 18 different museums in the span of two weeks, that included ones that focused on history, focused on photos, that used to be a person’s house, the first ever open air museum, and more. They were in Stockholm for most of their time, with Petroula, their guide, but also spent 3 days in Kiruna, up north, to learn about Sámi, the indigenous population in Sweden and to go to the ice hotel.

The first museum they went to was Skansen, which is the first ever open air museum that opened in 1891, which basically means that its exhibitions are outdoors. The museum has a zoo, gravestones spread out outside, and lots of old buildings with artifacts inside them. The students got to see what a typical Scandinavian home used to look like and got to try a classic Swedish plate, fresh cod with mushrooms and potatoes with lingonberry juice. Lingonberries are tiny red berries that taste sweet and sour.

They also got to experience a Swedish cooking class in Stockholm, where they made their own lunch. They made mashed potatoes, lingonberry sauce, and a lettuce roll filled with ground meat. They also made dessert, which was a mixed bowl of chocolate, fruits, whipped cream that they whipped themselves, and ice cream. They discovered that the cooking place had a stand mixer only after they had whipped all the whipped cream by hand, which I thought was a clever joke.

Lions Roam students participating in a Swedish cooking class.

During their second week, they went to Kiruna to learn about Sámi culture. They had a Sámi tour guide in Kiruna, and visited another open air museum called Nutti Sámi Siida. They had a Sami meal, which included reindeer pizza and bear meat, in a lavvu shaped house, which is a traditional Sami house. I was told that the reindeer meat tastes like a combination of lamb and cow, but that the bear was not very palatable. While they ate, they also heard all about Sami culture from the Sami people that work at Nutti Sami Siida. Sami people rely heavily on reindeers as their source of food and warmth. Reindeers usually get food from under the snow, but with global warming the snow is melting and turning into ice, making it hard for reindeers to hunt. The Sami language is also getting lost because Sami kids are getting taught English and Swedish in school, and in some cases, they can’t even communicate with their parents. After having the meal, they went outside to meet reindeers and look at Sami art.

Petroula, their guide, interacting with a shy reindeer that’s only a few months old.

They also got to go to the Ice Hotel while they were in Kiruna. Although they didn’t get to sleep overnight there, they got to play on ice slides and explore the ice sculptures.

One of the many ice sculptures at the ice hotel.

They spent the most time in Vasa Museum, which was the second to last museum that they visited. They spent an entire day there, getting to learn all about the story of the Vasa warship; the people that were on board, why it was built, how it sank, and more. The Vasa warship was built for a war between Poland and Sweden to showcase how powerful the king of Sweden is, so it had lots of statues on it. However, it sank because of the numerous statues and how tall the ship was and it stayed at the bottom of the ocean for 333 years while people looked for a way to resurface the ship without damaging it. In those 333 years in the ocean, the Vasa lost a lot of its color, but scientists were able to run chemical diagnostics to find out what pigments were on the wood. So at the museum, there were also projections of what scientists think the Vasa looked like brand new.

A staff member at the Vasa fixing a support that was harming the ship.

At the end of the day, they had an assignment to find something that the museum was missing and to come up with their own exhibition that would fill that missing part. They then presented each of their exhibition ideas to the Vasa Museum curator, and she thought that everyone had great ideas. This was also Mr. Spalletta’s favorite part of the trip, because he felt very proud of everyone for their presentations and how far they’ve come.

Revisit Day

by Olivia Sun ‘29

The hallways feel a little different on revisit days. There is more energy, more smiles, and a noticeable effort from both students and teachers. For incoming students, it’s meant to be a glimpse of high school life. In many ways, it does just that perfectly. But it doesn’t always tell the full story. 

Revisit day is set up to be a positive experience. It gives prospective students a chance to explore the buildings, meet teachers, and envision themselves as active parts of the community. For the students who feel the expected nervousness, it’s an opportunity to learn what type of community they are going into, making good first impressions crucial. This past revisit day for the St. Marks community was a chance to show off our best and to embody what our school stands for. From small details like welcoming smiles, warm greetings, and even being in dress code, we showed the potential members of our community the potential life they can have on campus. In that sense, revisit day does exactly what it’s supposed to do: it makes people feel comfortable and included. 

Students play a huge role in this. Whether they are officially hosting incoming students or just sitting in class next to a visitor, many make an effort to be friendly and inclusive. They answer questions, share their own experiences, and try to make themselves comfortable on what is a rather overwhelming day. For someone coming from a smaller or completely different school, these interactions are their first connections to the community, a warm and inviting environment allows them to feel at home in a new location. 

Clubs, Sports teams, and student groups also contribute to the day by showcasing what life outside the classroom looks like. Tables, posters, and quick conversations give incoming parents and students a chance to see the opportunities available to them. This is valuable because high school isn’t just about academics, it’s about expanding your interests and building connections. Seeing the variety of cavities helps students feel excited about joining a new community. 

Teachers also adjust their classes in ways that benefit visitors. They often choose lessons that are engaging and interactive, which helps students feel involved in the conversation instead of just observing. These refined lessons reflect the effort teachers put into creating a positive learning environment. This is a first look into what high school classes can feel like. For students it allows them to transition from a lecture based middle school format of class to a student lead discussion. For parents, it’s a chance to ease their anxiety of whether the quality of their kid’s education, seeing them integrate into the class settles their worries about whether they might integrate into a new school and a welcoming classroom can leave a lasting impression. 

Revisit day highlights something important; a school is more than just a building or schedule, it's a community. The collective effort from students, teachers and staff show how much we care about building a warm and inviting environment. This day captures what is truly important in our community, the willingness to be welcoming to upcoming students. 

Gone Fishin' 3566

by Chelsea Cao ‘28

Many people may have heard that our FRC robotics team, 3566 Gone Fishin, has qualified to go to the district championships. This is the first time in ten years that our team has reached the finals. While that achievement shines brightly on the surface, it is the visible result of months of dedication and hours of work, from long hours of CAD design, building, and programming to testing, teamwork, and problem-solving. 

Dating back to January, after the FIRST challenges were announced, our team immediately divided into small groups to discuss the design, strategies, and building plan. Then, the building team quickly built the field elements out of logs in one week. However, this is only the beginning; the hardest part is still waiting ahead of us.

In the following couple of weeks, you might have seen field elements set up in the lower center or our drivers driving the robots near these field elements in the evening. You may have wondered who is working so hard in the evening. The answer is, it is our robotic team. Every member of the team was locked into designing, building, and coding the robot so that we could have a full robot in the first competition. With all of our members' efforts, before the competition, our robot was capable of shooting and scoring consistently into the hub. 

With this in mind, we possessed hope and excitement for the first competition. Walking into the site, there were loud cheerings, laughter, and the sounds of swerve drives spinning. Our team felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. The practices, late nights, and careful planning all led to this moment. For the entire two days, our drivers, coders, and builders worked together in the fast-paced environment, constantly repairing and strengthening. Our robot went on and on the fields without too much of break between. And in the end, all of our work paid off. We were the first pick of Alliance 5, and we ranked 10th in the qualification round. Finally, the days ended with a huge team dinner, thanks to all of the teachers picking a great restaurant. 

While we did a pretty good job in the first competition, we were determined to do even better in the second competition. In only one week, with only 14 of our team members here, we incredibly efficiently built a simpler and more rigid intake, improved the coding for autonomous movement, finalized the indexing*,  and expanded the hopper** capacity.   

*indexing: the process of feeding the ball to the shooter mechanism

**hopper: a storage mechanism on a robot designed to hold fuels (balls)

In the second competition, with the ambition to do even better than last time, we gave 120% of our efforts. Coincidentally, we got Alliance 5, but this time we were the captain! You may have heard this in the Athletic Winter Awards: through good teamwork and excellent robot design, we went into the semifinals. In the semifinals, our strong performances in the previous round put our opponents under pressure, leading them to take some alternative methods, including intentionally breaking our robot's shooters, so that they can win. But true competition is never only about success; it is also about how teams respond when facing challenges. In moments like these, what shines bright is not just how well the robot performed; it is about the resilience, determination, and collaboration of the people behind it.  Even if we were eliminated in the semifinals, they remind us that some of the greatest victories are the ones that require perseverance. 

Currently, the entire team is upgrading the robots to do even better than in the second competition. With our upcoming District Championship on April 15th, I wish our teams to achieve fantastic results, overcome every challenge, and make the competition a memorable experience for everyone. 

Gray Colloquium

by Abby Stone‘26 and Catherine Zhang‘26

Most people watch sports for the scoreboard. Lyndsey Armacost ’14 and Ryan Sullivan watch for everything else. When the two media professionals visited St. Mark’s for January’s Gray Colloquium, their panel focused on journalism and its impact on the college network, the sports industry, and social injustices. 

Armacost said that instinct began at St. Mark’s, where she wrote for the St. Marker and eventually created her own sports blog. Those early experiments taught her that reporting was less about sounding polished and more about chasing the questions that mattered.

“I had a passion for finding answers,” she said. “There is a difference between writing well and learning to write in your own voice.”

Sullivan’s path looked nothing like hers. He entered college planning on business, shifted to marketing, and only stumbled into media through early work in operations and equipment management. His first full time role at the Big Ten Network was in communications, where he learned how to write with clarity and purpose.

“That role taught me how to write concisely and professionally,” he said. “It has helped me in every job since.”

Despite their different beginnings, both now work in roles that require them to translate the human side of sports into stories audiences can feel. Armacost discovered video storytelling at Northwestern and realized how much power lived in pacing, sound, and emotion. At ESPN she produces long form investigative pieces that often involve people at their most vulnerable. She recalled being sent to Uvalde after the 2022 school shooting and meeting families who had lost children.

“You cannot go in with a script for conversations like that,” she said. “You listen. You build trust. No two situations are the same.”

Sullivan works on the opposite end of the spectrum, overseeing digital content across Big Ten schools. His team films everything from sensitive personal features to lighthearted moments like golfing with Caitlin Clark or mic’d up practices. Much of the work focuses on Olympic sports that rarely receive national attention, which he sees as an opportunity rather than a limitation.

“We want to amplify athletes who do not always get the spotlight,” he said. “Sometimes that means a sensitive story about loss. Sometimes it is golfing with Caitlin Clark. Sometimes it is a mic’d up practice. It is all storytelling.”

Both emphasized that sports never exist in isolation. Armacost spoke about sportswashing and the importance of questioning narratives that feel too simple or too convenient.

“If you see a headline you do not understand, read about it,” she said. “Ask why. Give everything a Google.”

Sullivan reminded students that collegiate athletes, despite the spotlight, are still young adults balancing school, training, and public scrutiny.

“They look like pros on TV, but they are still learning and still growing,” he said. “Our job is to support them and tell their stories responsibly.”

When asked what advice they would give to students interested in media, both pointed to the value of practice and discomfort. Armacost encouraged experimentation.

“Try things,” she said. “Write badly, write better, build something, fail, figure it out.”

Sullivan urged students to develop communication skills and push themselves socially, noting that he was a quiet high schooler who never imagined speaking publicly.

“You grow by getting reps,” he said. “Written communication, verbal communication, putting yourself out there. It all matters.”

Overall, St. Mark’s was grateful to have both Armacost and Sullivan share their experiences with the community. Their visit offered students a clear look at how thoughtful, responsible sports storytelling is built, and the school was fortunate to learn from two professionals who continue to shape the field with care and intention.

Casino Night

by Jaewon Lee ‘29

“All in!” A student shouts as he bluffs his way to a 7-2 offsuit win. That burst of excitement was just one example of the thrill at St. Mark’s 50th Casino Night on January 10th. The room echoing with nerves and students praying the roulette ball lands on red are all a part of why Casino Night is a cherished tradition at St. Mark’s. It is an opportunity for students to unwind from academic and athletic stress and spend time with friends, and potentially win prizes through casino games. Despite the winter breezes blowing outside, the atmosphere inside the Patterson Sculley lobby almost felt like Las Vegas, packed with students eager to win some money.

The lobby was filled with blackjack tables, roulette wheels, poker tables, and numerous other games. Students were able to play a variety of games, with blackjack and the roulette wheel on the first floor and poker tables on the second floor. Students looking to catch a break from the competitiveness at the tables were able to grab snacks and drinks from the kitchen in the lobby. The clatter of poker chips and the riffle of cards being shuffled, along with students choosing to dress up in suits and dresses, added to the immersive experience and atmosphere.

A key part of Casino Night’s success was contributed by parents and faculty who volunteered as dealers. They helped the games run smoothly, as well as adding a sense of community to the event. Seeing familiar faces running the tables made the event much more enjoyable and welcoming. The dealers also made the event accessible by explaining the rules and guiding students who were not familiar with casino games. Without them, Casino Night would not have been such a successful event. 

Each student had $40K to start with, and through a mix of strategy and luck, could have won as much money as their hearts' desire. After playing, students redeemed raffle tickets by trading in their money. Each ticket was $25K, and each student was limited to trading in for 13 tickets. Then, students chose which of the different prizes they wanted to put their tickets into. Some notable prizes included two seat tickets to a Boston Celtics game, an off-campus dinner for 4, and various gift cards for Starbucks, Raising Cane’s, DoorDash, etc. The winners were chosen and announced during the school assembly.

With the support of parents, faculty, and Mr. Giegucz, who organized this event, the 50th Casino Night became one of the most successful events of the year.