Mercersburg Academy honored 26 members of the Class of 2026 for excellence in academics at the annual Cum Laude Convocation March 27 in the Burgin Center for the Arts’ Simon Theatre. Jeff Breit ’73, a distinguished trial attorney and dedicated public servant, was the invited speaker.

Drawing on more than 20 years of teaching experience at William and Mary Law School, Breit challenged the inductees by sharing a blueprint for life based on several core principles:

• Integrity: Be honest; anything less than the full truth is a lie.
• Direction: Let your moral compass be your guide.
• Diligence: Pay attention to details.
• Connection: Listen more. Speak less. Be a good friend.
• Legacy: Leave a mark in this world. Avoid mediocrity. Take risks.

A partner at the firm Breit Biniazan, Breit has served as an adjunct professor at William and Mary Law School since 2004. In January 2026, he stepped into a role as chief of staff to the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, working alongside his law partner, Speaker Don Scott.

In advance of his talk, Breit expressed gratitude for the foundation he was given at Mercersburg.

“Life moves fast, and it's easy to jump in the stream and let life take you downstream,” Breit noted. “Grab a tree limb, reflect on where you have been and where you would like to go. Friendships are often the only thing that grounds us.”

Listen to Breit’s address.

During the service, 14 members of the Class of 2026 were honored with membership in the school’s Cum Laude Society chapter, which recognizes the highest level of academic achievement within the school. The commended students are:

Eric Cittadine of Winnetka, IL

Manika Dalai of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jessica Dang of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Lilly Killinger of Middleburg, VA

Grace Labans of Amstelveen, Netherlands

Katie Lee of Monrovia, CA

Kelsey Li of Westmount, Quebec

Gaven McGuire of Mercersburg, PA

Sophie Oh of Fort Lee, NJ

Elie Shimaoka of Minato, Japan

Anouk Wandeler of Cary, NC

Anderson Wang of Livingston, NJ

Mattie Welch of Steamboat Springs, CO

Max Zhang of Beijing, China

They join 12 students in the Class of 2026 who were chosen as Cum Laude members last fall. Students selected during the fall included:

Bauhinia Chen of Hong Kong

Jason Chu of Hoboken, NJ

Sean Flaherty of Kensington, MD

Adrienne Howard of Engelberg, Switzerland

Audrey Hua of Guilford, CT

Christine Jiang of Atherton, CA

Annie Mohr of Mercersburg, PA

Duc Nguyen of Hanoi, Vietnam

Frederick Wu of Shanghai, China

Charlie Xu of Shanghai, China

Michael Zhang of Charleston, SC

Thomas Zhu of Shanghai, China

Mercersburg is one of 382 secondary schools across the country with a Cum Laude Society chapter. Cum Laude honorees are elected as seniors by faculty and staff members of Mercersburg’s Cum Laude chapter. The Cum Laude Society, which was founded in 1906, is billed as the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.