Mercersburg Academy honored 27 members of its Class of 2025 for excellence in academics at the annual Cum Laude Convocation March 28 in the Irvine Memorial Chapel. Dr. Kimball Prentiss ’92, who works in pediatric emergency medicine at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, was the invited speaker.

Prentiss referenced the Cum Laude Society’s emphasis on academic achievement in order to promote excellence, justice, and honor. She introduced the concept of the Most Generous Interpretation (MGI) and related how interactions can be influenced by a curious and nonjudgmental outlook.  

The MGI approach is a challenge to find the most positive explanation for someone’s behavior, even when that behavior seems and feels quite negative.

“I would say that there are probably a fair amount of instances in your daily life where you could apply the MGI,” Prentiss said. “I actually think it will make your world a better place.”

An assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School Baystate in Springfield, MA, Prentiss has held multiple academic positions, including appointments at Tufts University, Boston University, School of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School. 

Prentiss shared several examples from her emergency room experiences where residents made quick judgments without gathering sufficient information. Once the residents were sent back to ask families additional questions, they returned to Prentiss with newfound understanding.

“Can you please assume a position of more curiosity, ask more questions, get to this family's why?” Prentiss instructed. “They've done it, and they've come back, and they've had a very different tone, a very different story to share.”

Listen to Prentiss’ address.

At Mercersburg, Prentiss was a prefect and participated in soccer, field hockey, and swimming. She was a member of the Marshall Society and the Cum Laude Society.

One of five generations of Mercersburg students, her family’s connection to Mercersburg dates back to her great-grandfather Medary Prentiss, who was in the Class of 1914.

During the service, 14 members of the Class of 2025 were honored with membership in the school’s Cum Laude Society chapter. The commended students are:

Chloe Allis of Houston, TX

Hisano Enomoto of Tokyo, Japan

Max Friedman of Vienna, VA

Louisa Gunkelman of Mercersburg, PA

Sisi Guo of Portland, OR

Reagan Houpt of Mercersburg, PA

Alyssa Lee of Broadlands, VA

Masha Levina of Tel Aviv, Israel

Get Poolvoraluk of Bangkok, Thailand

Yiting Sun of Frederick, MD 

Bella Tai of Hagerstown, MD

Cecilia Wang of Beijing, China

Reed Warner of Frederick, MD

Maddie Weiss of New Rochelle, NY

They join 13 students in the Class of 2025 who were chosen as Cum Laude members last fall. Students selected during the fall included:

Landon Britton of Vienna, VA 

Grace Chi of Palo Alto, CA 

Olivia Glick of Culpeper, VA

Ava Guzic of Greencastle, PA

Tahir Hasanov of Ontario, Canada 

Collin Jin of Los Angeles, CA

Bella Levina of Dnipro, Ukraine

Daniel Liu of Hagerstown, MD

Justin Oh of Seoul, Korea

Derrick Park of Jeju-si, Korea

Anne Sehon of Oakton, VA

Oscar Su of Hagerstown, MD

Gavin Williams of Mercersburg, PA

Founded in 1906, the Cum Laude Society is billed as the secondary-school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. Cum Laude honorees are elected as seniors by the faculty of Mercersburg’s Cum Laude chapter. Mercersburg is one of 382 secondary schools across the country with a Cum Laude Society chapter. Those chosen for membership represent the highest level of academic achievement within the school.

Pictured: Mercersburg Academy honored 27 members of its Class of 2025 for excellence in academics at the annual Cum Laude Convocation March 28. The students were commended by Head of School Quentin McDowell P '25, '27. Kimball Prentiss '92 was the invited speaker.