Led by Valedictorian Patia Fann of Purcellville, Salutatorian Charlotte Scharfenberg of Middleburg, and Senior Class speaker Alexa "Lexie" Williams of Lovettsville, 18 area residents were among the 47 students who were awarded diplomas on Friday, May 27, at Foxcroft School's 102nd Commencement in Miss Charlotte's Garden.

Williams, who will attend Virginia Tech in the fall, also received the coveted Charlotte Haxall Noland Award and University of Virginia-bound Scharfenberg collected the Ida Applegate Award. Lilly Savin, a part-time Middleburg resident who is also headed to Virginia Tech, received a special Head's Prize from Foxcroft's second-year Head, Catherine S. McGehee, adding to the area's accumulation of top honors.

The program, too, was something of a local affair: Stephen L. Matthews, longtime head librarian and teacher at Foxcroft ...and husband of Middleburg Library's Sheila Whetzel ... was the featured speaker and Mathematics Department Chair Susan S. Erba, who has lived in Middleburg for 27 years, delivered the invocation.

Additional area students who graduated included Meghann Harmon, Malan Jackson, Madeleine Jahnke, and Olivia Mascatello of Middleburg; Alexandra Grace of Purcellville; Berenice Arellano and Ann Mickum of The Plains; and Serena Holz of Delaplane.

Bluemont residents Laurel Carpenter and Marias Blundell; Philippa (Pipsy) Steyn and Abigail Tostenson of Leesburg; Virginia Matsumoto of Potomac Falls; and Waterford's Jessica Herman also received diplomas from Anne Michele Lyons Kuhns '87, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees.

The newest Foxcroft alumnae are an accomplished group: They were offered 190 acceptances and more than $3.2 million in merit scholarships from 125 colleges and universities, including Boston University, Lehigh, New York University, Purdue, Smith, UCLA, Vanderbilt, California-Berkeley and the Rhode island School of Design.

[The article continues with detailed information about awards and achievements of each graduate, including their college destinations and honors received.]