Foxcroft junior and Purcellville native Betsy Altenburger, along with four classmates, three seniors, and two faculty members have been elected to the School's Chapter of the Cum Laude Society, President Lindsey Bowser announced recently. They join five members of the Senior Class who were named to the national high school scholastic honor society a year ago as juniors.

Seniors Shea Hogan, Joy Wu, and Cassie Zhang were elected to Cum Laude, which is modeled on the collegiate Phi Beta Kappa. Also, Altenburger, Moni Corona Perera, Julia Clark, Scarlett Dong, and Eunice Yang were accorded the special distinction of being selected during their junior year. STEM teacher and Wellness Education Coordinator Meghen Tuttle, Ph.D., and English teacher Anne Burridge were also elected to the Society as a way to honor their dedication to scholarship, teaching, and the love of learning fundamental to the ideals of the Society.

Current seniors who were inducted last year include Kenzie Green, Tam Le, Nell Nicastro, Mimi Suh, and Maya Yuan. Together with the current faculty members of the chapter, they will officially welcome the new members into the Society at the Cum Laude induction ceremony held during Foxcroft's annual Awards Assembly in May.

Those current faculty members are Head of School Cathy McGehee, Assistant Head of School for Academics Courtney Ulmer, Athletic Director Michelle Woodruff, Director of The Innovation Lab and History Department Chair Alex Northrup, and STEM teacher Lindsey Bowser.

The presence of a Cum Laude chapter at a secondary school indicates a commitment to outstanding scholastic achievement. Students selected for induction must have superior academic records, as reflected in their course load, grade point average, and other factors. They must also demonstrate a serious interest in the pursuit of knowledge and academic integrity. National guidelines limit membership to 20 percent of a senior class; up to half of those students are eligible to be elected in the junior year.

The Cum Laude Society was founded in 1906 and has grown to include 382 chapters, the vast majority of which are located at independent schools in the United States. Foxcroft's chapter was established in 1958.