Gurbani Kaur '13, Grace Yi '13 and Tatini Mal-Sarkar '13 all plan to study medicine in college. Congratulations to these outstanding students on this terrific achievement and best wishes to them in the future. 

A special feature about her was published in the newspaper on Sunday, May 19. The profile notes her many achievements and accolades and describes the enthusiasm with which she faces every project:

"Gurbani, 18, who is bound for Harvard in the fall, seems to handle the rigors of academia with no sweat, no matter how high she piles her plate. She is a National Merit Scholar, a regional finalist in the Siemens math, science and technology competition and has been awarded national honors for debate and science."

Among other things she's accomplished during her high school career, Gurbani has served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, is poetry editor of HB's literary magazine and president of the Math Club. She also is the president of STAMP, the school's disability awareness association, and founded Hathaway Brown's diversity training for third-graders.

Senior Standouts is a program administered by The Plain Dealer and Medical Mutual of Ohio. It is now in its 11th year. Public and private high schools in Northeast Ohio are invited to nominate outstanding students for this recognition. Each of the 10 winners receives a $500 scholarship from Medical Mutual and another $250 scholarship from The Plain Dealer.

More than 130 high schools each nominated one outstanding senior, based on academic achievement, leadership and community service.

Plain Dealer editors and reporters narrowed the field to 23 finalists. A panel of judges chosen from the community had the difficult task of selecting the 10 winners.

This year's judges were: Barbara Berry, director of the Upward Bound program at Baldwin Wallace University; Judi Feniger, executive director of the Gordon Square Arts District; Robert McCullough, director of admissions at Case Western Reserve University; Antoine D. Moss, author, motivational speaker and contributor to BlackEnterprise.com; and Michael Schwartz, the retired president of Cleveland State University.

Hathaway Brown is honored to have had students recognized as Senior Standouts almost every year that the program has been run. Read the full profile about Gurbani and explore the Senior Standouts archive here. 

At ISEF, Gurbani Kaur won a Second Place Grand Award, $1500, and also will have a minor planet named in her honor. Her research is conducted at the Biomedical Engineering Department at Case Western Reserve University, on the topic of targeted drug delivery. Gurbani was also a Siemens Regional Finalist, and presented her work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Boston in February. In the same competition, Ingrid Zippe won the American Physiological Association Second Place Award and $1000. Her research is at CWRU School of Medicine in the field of Neuroscience. Ingrid was also a Siemens Semifinalist, and presented her work at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Boston in February.

At I-SWEEEP, Aly Bryan won a Silver Medal and a cash award of several hundred dollars. Her research is conducted at the CWRU School of Medicine Infectious Disease Department, on the topic of malaria control. Aly is also a 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholar and a Siemens Semifinalist. Joyce Guo won a Bronze Medal and several hundred dollars. Her research is conducted in the CWRU Physics Department on the topic of liquid crystals.

All students attended these events as Finalists, having earned this status through rigorous judging at the Hathaway Brown School ISEF Affiliate Science Fair.

Also attending ISEF as a finalist was Lena Ransohoff, who was a Siemens Semifinalist and who presented her research at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in New Orleans in October. Lena conducts research at the Cleveland Clinic in the field of neuroscience.

More than 120 students in grades 9-12 enrolled in HB’s renowned elective Science Research & Engineering Program took part in the school’s ISEF Affiliate Science Fair. The girls displayed their cutting-edge research conducted under the mentorship of leading professionals at CWRU, CWRU School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, NASA Glenn Research Center, and other area institutions. 

Each section of the SAT (critical reading, mathematics and writing) is scored on a 200- to 800-point scale, for a possible total of 2400. Earning a perfect score on the test is quite a rare feat. In 2012, of more than 1.6 million test takers, only 360 (.022%) were able to achieve this distinction.

Congratulations, Dhikshitha!

Michele Zhou '14 

Typically less than one-tenth of one percent of all test takers achieve this impressive accomplishment. Among the high school graduating class of 2012, more than 1.6 million graduates took the ACT, with just 781 of those students earning a top score.

Congratulations, Michele!

Alyssa Bryan

All of this year’s scholars– along with the teachers they say have most influenced them – have been invited to Washington, D.C., for a gala celebration June 15-18. Aly selected William Adler, her math teacher for the last four years, to join her and receive a special Teacher Recognition Award.

“Not only has Mr. Adler taught me everything from trigonometry to advanced multivariable calculus, but he has also taught me to seek help in academic situations when needed and to always give 110 percent effort in all of my work,” Aly said. “My best memories from high school all have Mr. Adler in them.”

For his part, Adler said he’s humbled that Aly calls him her most influential teacher. “She’s always doing something amazing,” he remarked. “It has truly been a privilege watching Aly grow as a student of mathematics. It is clear that she really enjoys the challenge of a difficult math problem and the joy she gets when she figures it out.”

The daughter of Fawn and Edward Bryan of Bainbridge, Aly is one of only four Ohio students selected as a Presidential Scholar based on her excellent academic record and “promise of greatness.” From nearly 3.2 million graduating high school seniors, approximately 3,900 students were identified as candidates in the program, and from there 550 semifinalists were selected. The names of this year’s 141 Presidential Scholars were released by the U.S. Department of Education on May 6.

In addition to her work at CWRU through Hathaway Brown’s Science Research & Engineering Program, Aly also is the captain of HB’s Speech & Debate team, and lead mentor for the TRUST (Transforming Relations to Unite Students Together) program organized by the school’s Center for Multicultural Affairs. She works closely with the Admission office to welcome new students to the Upper School as Gold Key co-president, and she’s a Global Scholar who’s traveled to Germany and France during her time at HB and is now preparing a thesis addressing policy recommendations for Guantanamo Bay during President Obama’s second term. In 2012, she earned a perfect score on the ACT, she was a Siemens competition semifinalist, and she recently was inducted into the HB chapter of the Cum Laude Society.

Aly will attend Davidson College in North Carolina this fall, where she has been named a John Montgomery Belk Scholar in recognition of her intellectual curiosity and commitment to both the local and global communities. When it comes to career paths, she doesn’t want to limit her options. So she’s planning to major in Political Science, minor in French, and take classes on the school’s Pre-Med track.

There won’t be much time for Aly to bask in the glow of celebration in the nation’s capital next month. Immediately following the U.S. Presidential Scholars Awards ceremony, she’ll have to board and plane and head to Birmingham, Ala., where she and her teammates will take part in the National Forensic League High School National Speech & Debate Tournament.

Hathaway Brown is the alma mater of three previous U.S. Presidential Scholars as well: Laney Kuenzel of the class of 2008, and Edith Hines and Caroline Campbell, who graduated in 2000 and 1998, respectively.

A total of 753 high school juniors were nominated by their schools to participate in the 2013 program, and 155 across the U.S., Canada, and American schools abroad were chosen as outstanding writers. Only eight of those students are Ohioans.

All compositions were evaluated by national judges on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development and style. Judges also looked for writing that demonstrated effective and imaginative use of language to inform and move an audience. 

To learn more about the National Council of Teachers of English and for a full list of winners in this year's contest, please click here.

In the Titan business simulation program, students act as CEOs and make decisions concerning price, production, research and development, capital investment, marketing and charitable giving for their companies. HB students have been using the technology through the Center for Business and Finance, which is overseen by Kevin Purpura.  

The HB girls' regional finish qualifies them to advance to the national competition, which will begin on Monday, April 29. 

From nearly 3.2 million graduating high school seniors, approximately 3,900 students were identified as candidates in the program, and approximately 550 semifinalists have been chosen from around the country. These semifinalists form the pool from which the 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be chosen. The names of the winning students will be announced in May. Eighteen Ohio students have been named semifinalists. Of those, one girl and one boy will become Presidential Scholars.

Remarking on the outstanding achievement, Upper School Director Sue Sadler noted that Bryan deserved this recognition for her exceptional scholarship and commitment to a variety of in-school and extracurricular initiatives, including Science Research & Engineering, Speech & Debate, and Gold Key service. "She's as tenacious as they come," said Dean of Students Hallie Godshall.

According to a news release provided by the program, The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by Executive Order of the President to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named as U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the country's highest honors for high school students. The Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. In honoring the U.S. Presidential Scholars, the President of the United States symbolically honors all graduating high school seniors of high potential. Each U.S. Presidential Scholar is asked to identify the one teacher who has most influenced him or her, and the selected educators are invited to attend the recognition events that will take place in Washington, D.C. These distinguished professionals are honored for their efforts at a special reception, and presented with the Teacher Recognition Award.

Learn more about the U.S. Presidential Scholars program by visiting the official website. For a list of this year's semifinalists, click here.

The girls' poem, "On the Morning, 9/11," is now being circulated throughout the region by way of illustrated postcards and posters on display in the interiors of Northeast Ohio area buses and transit systems. Riders can enjoy the work on Cleveland RTA trains and buses and the Akron METRO and Portage County PARTA bus systems.

Traveling Stanzas was started in 2009 in an effort to promote awareness of poetry and graphic design within the community. Kent State's Wick Poetry Center conducts an outreach program for non-professional writers, with undergraduate and graduate English students guiding the sessions. Poems are selected by Wick Poetry Center Director David Hassler for use in each edition of the Stanzas. Designs are created in the student-staffed Glyphix design studio with guidance by Creative Director Valora Renicker.

Kent State University senior Anthony Jandrokovic illustrated the HB poem. "On the Morning, 9/11" was compiled by Osborne Writing Center Director Scott Parsons, with contributions from HB seniors Jessie Adkins, Michelle Chapman, Alden Cowap, Danielle Frankel, Caitlyn Frohring, Joyce Guo, Olivia Julian, Sylvia Krebs, and Claire Ashmead '12.

On the Morning, 9/11

On the morning the towers fell
The chocolate milk didn't taste the same.

I was a child living two separate lives.
I trusted too easily, then not not enough.

The cemetery became too familiar,
Like a full moon illuminating a sky.

There's a third plane, I learned in math class, after X and Y.

I became the kind of person who laughs when she is sad.
For a long time, I wasn't sure who I was.

In customs with my parents,
The stamp on my passport left a permanent mark.

I realized I could write if I wanted to, and I did,
The stopped being scared all the time. 

HB's team of Jessie Adkins '13, Lauren Dierker '14, and Grace Phillips '14 took 11th place out of 26 teams. This is an especially remarkable achievement, considering that this is the first time HB has competed in this type of event.

For more information about the contest, please visit http://contest.acm.bw.edu/contest/.

An interview with Tessa and the three other prize winners will air during the April 23 "Around Noon" program broadcast at 12:15 p.m. on Cleveland NPR station 90.3 WCPN - ideastream. The producers picked April 23 because that date marks the Bard's 449th birthday.

Among other prizes, Tessa had the opportunity to have her song professionally recorded in the ideastream studios last week. And she won passes to see the Great Lakes Theater production of the play that inspired her award-winning song.

For all these accolades, Tessa remains humble. In an email telling her teachers about the contest results, she expressed her gratitude: "Thanks for the valuable lessons, musical and otherwise, that you have taught me throughout the years, and I appreciate your help -- I couldn't have garnered this success without mentors as compassionate and caring as you."

Estate of Victor and Georgia Cannon splits large bequest between Northeast Ohio institutions

Both University School and Hathaway Brown have become the beneficiaries of a $6.6 million bequest from the estate of Victor M. Cannon and his wife, Georgia. The monies will be evenly split between the two institutions and added to the schools’ respective endowments.

Hathaway Brown Head of School Bill Christ and University School Headmaster Steve Murray both expressed enormous gratitude for this relatively unusual joint gift. “The histories and missions of Hathaway Brown and University School are very closely intertwined,” said HB’s Christ. “And we are so pleased that the Cannons decided to honor both schools with this substantial bequest.”

“We are extremely grateful for this extraordinary gift to our school,” said US Headmaster Murray. ”We are planning to devote the $3.3 million bequest to unrestricted endowments for faculty enhancement and professional development. Honoring our faculty by giving them the teaching tools to do their best work was the primary goal behind our new academic wing in Hunting Valley. These endowments will ensure that our faculty continue to be supported in their work and receive ongoing professional development.”

During the September dedication of the academic wing, University School launched a $100 million campaign, which included a $12 million lead gift from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. The school has already raised $70.5 million towards the $100 million goal. In addition to building a new academic wing, the campaign will enable the school to renovate much of the Hunting Valley Campus and create a new entrance to the school. The school will also add a significant sum to its endowment in order to help attract the city’s most accomplished young men and provide support to enhance faculty salaries.

At Hathaway Brown, the $3.3 million bequest is the third largest gift in school history. In 2001, a $7.2 million gift from alumna Jean Sharer Brown (class of 1936) fueled the construction of the school’s 50,000-square-foot, four-story atrium and middle school academic center. In 2005, HB unveiled an onsite aquatic center with a principal $4 million gift from Carol Humphrey Butler of the class of 1940. “We’re especially excited to have received news of this generous donation from the estate of Georgia Cannon at this time,” said Christ. “Hathaway Brown and its board of directors are now engaged in an in-depth strategic planning process for mapping out our academic and experiential programming, facilities, faculty and student recruitment, and research and community engagement initiatives well into the future. At the same time, gifts like this allow us to maintain, refine, and expand the outstanding education we provide for girls across Northeast Ohio.”

At the time of his death in 1970, Victor M. Cannon, a 1919 graduate of University School, was an executive at The Reynolds Co. Inc., and a longtime volunteer and adviser at the Seaman's Service Center where he served as president and was a member of the board of trustees. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he was an executive at Premier Vacuum Cleaner Co. before it was sold to General Electric Co. Mr. Cannon was associated with the Brown Fence & Wire Co. prior to joining the Reynolds Co. He was the son of well-known Cleveland lawyer and businessman Austin Victor Cannon, who served as the chairman of the Cuyahoga County Relief Commission during the Great Depression.

Victor M. Cannon married Georgia Gary, a 1924 graduate of Hathaway Brown and 1928 graduate of Rollins College. The couple had two children, Victor M. Jr. and Patsy, both of whom are now deceased. Victor Jr. was an alumnus of University School, graduating in 1949. Georgia served as Vice President and Treasurer for her senior class at HB. She spent many years as a volunteer at the Cleveland Society for the Blind, where she read to sight-impaired law students. She also was a member of several community organizations, including the Cleveland Skating Club, The Country Club, and Colony Garden Club. She died in 1995 at the age of 88.

Representatives of both University School and Hathaway Brown are available for comment. Those interested in speaking with administrators at US should contact Fiona Reilly, Director of Public Relations, at 216.780.1348 or freilly@us.edu. Please direct HB interview requests to Director of Communication & Outreach Kathleen Osborne at 216.320.8785 or kosborne@hb.edu.

###

About Hathaway Brown: 
Located in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Hathaway Brown is an independent school serving girls K-12 and boys and girls in Early Childhood. Founded in 1876, HB is committed to a fusion of academic and experiential learning. The school serves families from 77 Northeast Ohio communities. Visit www.hb.edu to learn more.

About University School: 
Founded in 1890, University School is an independent day school, educating boys in kindergarten through grade 12. The school’s mission is to develop promising and motivated boys into accomplished and independent young men who aspire to make a difference in the world. University School has two suburban campuses in Cleveland, Ohio: the Shaker Heights Campus for boys in kindergarten through grade 8, and the Hunting Valley Campus, which is home to students in grades 9-12. Visit www.us.edu for more information.

Holi is a Hindu-based festival of colors which is celebrated in some parts of India as well as other countries around the world. Among other things, the festival celebrates the arrival of Spring as an opportunity for renewal and coming together. The festival is typically celebrated in March and was observed by many while HB students were away for Spring Break.

Throughout the week, a number of activities will allow the school community to mark the occasion. 

• Special student presentations
• Holi treats
• Bollywood music during lunch
• Colorful streamers in the Atrium to represent the throwing of gulal
• Participatory Rangoli art
• Holi songs 
• Mini Holi festivals throughout the school
• Colors of Spring dress-down day

In addition to winning the coveted Team Spirit award in Pittsburgh on March 15, Team 2399 led all of the team mascots in a a competition-wide Harlem Shake. Amanda Merritt '16 was HB's featured dancer. Click here to watch the video.

At the Buckeye Regional Tournament at Cleveland State University March 28-30, Gracie Phillips '14 was one of just two students to be named a FIRST Dean's List Finalist. This prestigious designation netted Gracie a certificate and qualifies her to compete for the national title.

Gracie didn't know she had been nominated for the award and she was excited and honored to hear the program organizers reading aloud the essay written by her mentor Arkady Polinkovsky. In Arkady's words: "In addition to her work within the team, Grace has been an ambassador for the team to the rest of her school. She is always willing to talk to other students about the team and welcomes new members. Thanks in part to Grace, our team has experienced a 30% membership increase over the past two years. Grace also took the initiative to apply for a Google grant to obtain funds for a robotics camp for middle school girls that she will run this summer at school. Between her technical skills, team spirit, and leadership, she exemplifies the best of FIRST." (Read the full nomination essay here.)

Congratulations to the members of the HB FIRST Robotics Team 2399:

Nicole Trombetta Advisor
Jessie Adkins '13 
Rebecca M Geisinger '13
Devon Kilroy '13 Head of Business Team
Lauren Dierker '14 Head of Programming Team
Sarah Dierker '14 Head of Mechanical Team
Allie Dumas '14
Gracie Phillips '14 Team Captain
Josie Strang '14
Chloe Biskind '15
Mackenzie B. Hridel '15
Jordan Purpura '15
Madi Ference '16
Francesca Ferri '16
Elise Leneghan '16
Amanda Merritt '16
Laura Starkman '16
Raina Washington '16

Special thanks to Technical Mentors Arkady Polinkovsky from Gearing Solutions, Inc., Christopher Dickey from Case Western Reserve University, and Tom Glem and Andrea Clark from Rockwell Automation, as well as HB faculty members James Allen and Lori Harris for their assistance throughout the season. 

Even if you can't make the trip to Columbus to cheer on HB, you can follow the action live through the OHSAA Radio Network, which will be podcasting through their website here.

The winner of Thursday night's game will advance to the State Championship on Saturday, March 16, at 2 p.m. An OHSAA Radio Broadcast of that game also will be available, and the game will be televised live on SportsTime Ohio. Check your local listings.

Please Note: If you have difficulty using the link above to access the OHSAA Radio Network stream, please copy and paste this link into your computer's browser - http://www.ohsaa.org/news/radio/radiohome.asp.

Thanks for your support and Go Blazers!

Sayble's mother, Melissa Mitchell, accepted the award on her daughter's behalf because Sayble is currently working on a service project in South Carolina. She was interviewed about the honor on WJW-Fox 8 this Sunday.

Project Love is a character-building education and training organization program to create a culture of kindness, caring and respect. The organization lauded Sayble for her many volunteer efforts, presenting her family with a poster that says the following:

"Sayble is a caring, considerate and giving young lady. A student at Hathaway Brown School, Sayble takes advantage of many rigorous courses. In addition to her dedication to academics, Sayble also values and understands the importance of giving back to the community. She has been a teen volunteer for the Hospice of the Western Reserve and enjoys spending time with her elderly clients.

Sayble engages in leadership and service opportunities both in school and in her community. She is part of the TRUST (Transforming Relations to Unite Students Together) program, she participates in the Early Childhood Lunch Program, and she started a collection drive for Providence House – a crisis nursery for children at risk of ending up in foster care. She understands that without the help of family and community, there are children who suffer in many ways. Sayble was able to collect more than 300 items that she donated to Providence House.

Sayble attended a leadership camp in New York, sponsored by BET (Black Entertainment Television) and celebrity model/DJ Beverly Bond. The program is designed to mentor and encourage African-American young women to become successful after college and to take their leadership skills back into their communities.

Project Love thanks Sayble for her leadership and compassionate work on behalf of those less fortunate."

Come out and support the Blazers as they battle the Cardinals in their next step on their quest for the OHSAA Division II State Title. HB student and faculty tickets will be available in the Athletic Office beginning Wednesday, March 6, at noon through Friday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m. If you'd like to purchase tickets for non-HB employees or non-HB students, they will be available for $6 in the Athletic Office. All tickets at the gate will be $8. Please also note that there is a $2 parking fee at Barberton High School.

For the sixth year in a row, Hathaway Brown has been recognized as a NEO Success Award winner by Inside Business magazine. For the last 19 years, the publication has been honoring the region's top-performing public and private companies through this program.

In addition to acknowledgement in the magazine's March/April 2013 issue, the school will be honored at a special awards luncheon on March 21 at Executive Caterers of Landerhaven.

This year's 96 NEO Success Award winners were chosen based on how they reflect and represent the rich cultural, business, innovation, and education environment in Northeast Ohio.

Read more about the NEO Success Awards program and this year's winners at the Inside Business website.

Student tickets for the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II Regional Semifinal vs. Chagrin Falls on Tuesday, March 5, @ 8:00 p.m. @ Barberton High School will be available in the Athletic Office today until Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Tickets for non-HB employees or non-HB students are also available for $6 in the Athletic Office. All tickets at the gate are $8. 

The Blazers are in the "Sweet 16" for the seventh time in a row - come out and support them as they take their next step in their quest for the State Title.

Middle School Performing Arts Department Chair Deborah Southard is the program advisor who guides the students on the instrument during the school day an in after-school practice sessions. She educates the girls using the Orff Schulwerk philosophy, developed by German composer Carl Orff. The learning environment empowers girls to create their own music and movement, rather than merely reproduce that which has been created by adults.

“This is a pilgrimage every teacher dreams of making,” Deb says. “Paying homage to these influential composers in the places where they once lived and worked is an amazing and even life-changing experience.”

News of the girls' visit is being spread throughout Europe. Check out these posters hanging in Salzburg and Vienna.

The members of the Class of 2017 making the trip are Elise Baker, Margaret Broihier, Maggie Cha, Lane Chesler, Holly Galbincea, Mae Harris, Alexia Jones, Ananya Kalahasti, Hanna Keyerleber, Kayla Miller, Gigi Protasiewicz, Julia Sabik, and Rachel Wang.