Altamont Honors Class of 2023

The Altamont School presented diplomas to 56 students at its annual Graduation Ceremony May 25. The school also presented its annual departmental and senior awards.

 

The fine book award – created by Mrs. J. Craig Smith, a loyal friend of the Birmingham University School – is presented to outstanding 8th and 12th grade English students.

 

The John Wallace Johnston History Award is an endowed prize for the most outstanding Upper School history student. This award was given by Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Johnston in memory of Mr. Johnston’s distinguished father.

 

The Clarice Locke Award is awarded annually to the outstanding Upper School mathematics student, given in honor of a distinguished mathematics teacher at the Brooke Hill School.

 

The Carver-Gorgas Senior Science Book Award is presented to the outstanding senior science student in The Altamont School, completing four years of science and exhibiting the greatest interest and aptitude for the sciences through high school. It is named in honor of two of Alabama’s most renowned scientists – Chemist George Washington Carver and physician William Crawford Gorgas.

 

The Hallie Porter Shook Cup is awarded to the outstanding Upper School student in the classical languages in memory of a much beloved instructor in Latin at the Brooke Hill School.

 

The Jeanne Classé Armes de Paris Medal is given to a senior for exemplary scholarship in French as well as outstanding service to the French Club or at the French Convention. Previously named the Alliance Française Medal, this award was renamed in 2017 to honor Jeanne Classé’s 44 years of teaching at The Brooke Hill School and The Altamont School, her commitment to the Alliance Française of Birmingham, and her lasting impact on the Alabama Federation of French Clubs.

 

In 1973, William Hansell Hulsey generously endowed an annual award for the outstanding Upper School French student. The award honors Hulsey’s wife and carries her name.

 

The David Hart White Spanish Award recognizes the outstanding Upper School Spanish student in memory of a beloved teacher at the Birmingham University School, who was an expert in Latin American history.

 

 

The Global Seal of Biliteracy certifies, through standardized testing, that an individual has attained proficiency in English and in another language. This year’s honorees include:

 

 

The Gainey Arts & Humanities Award is the highest honor a student may receive from the Fine Arts Department. It is given annually to the student who has given distinguished service in the area of music, art, photography, writing and theatre. The award is given in honor of Georgene Gainey, an exceptional teacher of speech and drama at Brooke Hill and Altamont for 26 years.

 

The Sophia Mize Clifford Music Award was endowed by Clifford’s husband, Pete, and commemorates her 40 years of service to the teaching profession, especially her nine years at The Altamont School.  Five of those years were spent as Head of the Science Department. The award is given to honor Clifford’s admiration for those individuals who choose to become musicians.

 

The Speech Arts Club of Birmingham — composed of teachers of speech and theatre, actors and professional readers – was organized in 1926 to encourage quality speech and theatre training in the Birmingham area and to provide a performance venue for its members. Each year, the club presents a book award to a deserving senior distinguished in the areas of speech and theatre.

 

The Lily Cup is awarded annually to a varsity soccer player who values the seriousness of competition without sacrificing enjoyment of the game, who dedicates self to team while respecting every individual on and off the field, who sparks contagious enthusiasm among teammates and spectators, and who faces personal challenges with grace and humility. The award is named in memory of Lily Price Rushton, 2008-2009 member of the Altamont women’s varsity soccer team.

 

The Joseph Wheeler Sewell Award is presented annually to the graduating male and female athlete who have excelled in varsity athletics. The award is given in memory of Joseph Wheeler Sewell, class of 1971.

 

 

The Paul Nii-Amar Amamoo Award honors an alumnus of the Class of 1997 who embodied the best of the “Altamont Spirit” in the classroom and on the athletic field. The award honors his unfailing sense of service to his school and his kind consideration of peers and teachers.

 

The Margaret Gresham Livingston Leadership Award is given to an outstanding upper school student who exemplifies the ideals of the Altamont school: Truth, knowledge, honor, and a commitment to excellence. The award honors Margaret Livingston’s more than 40 years of service to Altamont.

 

The Altamont Citizenship Award is given annually to the student who exhibits the greatest awareness of, and involvement in, the world around her, who is committed to making the world a better place, and who is willing to do the challenging work necessary to make change happen.

 

The Faculty Cup recognizes exemplary student leadership within the school community. Strong student leadership enables a school community and individual students to realize their greatest potential. A true leader is ambitious, not for himself or herself but for the institution itself.

The Nancy Perrin Bailey Award, created in 2022, honors one of Altamont’s most beloved librarians. Altamont presents the award to a student for outstanding library service and dedication to a life of learning and love of books.

 

 

The Brooke Hill Cup and J. Frank Rushton Cup – the highest honors an Altamont girl and boy can receive – are voted on by the entire student body, faculty, and athletic coaches to honor sportsmanship, leadership, scholarship, athletic ability, integrity and participation in school activities.

The ceremony also included addresses by Valedictorian Pranav Goli and Salutatorian Manish Yalamanchili, a poetry reading by Margaret Schedler, and a musical performance by Zoe Browning.