Latin Lyceum bestows Arete Awards

Scolaris, Humanitas, Athletis

June 6, 2017

By Andre Ragel

Celebrating classical education at LHS, the Latin Lyceum recognized approximately 30 students  with the annual Arȇte Awards during a ceremony held on June 1st in the Burgoyne Theater at Lowell High School’s Freshman Academy.

The ceremony was attended by students and parents of the current Latin Lyceum, many from the Class of 2017, joined, as well as alumni from first Lyceum Class of 2003, and faculty of Lowell High School to honor the scholarship recipients.

The Arete Award was established to reward those students whose scholarship and actions demonstrate the spirit of the LHS Classical Education program, known as the Latin Lyceum, tasked to produce active, thoughtful and reflective citizens.  Within the Arete, which means Excellence in Latin, are three categories titled Scolaris, Humanitas and Athletis.

Scholarships were awarded to students who met the requirements in all three categories of the Arete Award : Scolaris, Humanitas, and Athletis. Non-scholarship awards were presented to students who meet the requirements of the Humanitas or the Athletis categories in addition to the Scolaris category.

The intent of the Latin Lyceum Program is to promote high academic achievement and to produce well-rounded citizens, according to English Department Chairwoman Suzanne Keefe.

This year marks the 17th year of the Lyceum which was initiated by School Committeeman William Taupier in 1999 to offer a more rigorous Classical education curriculum at LHS.   The first class graduated in 2003.

“The intent of the Latin Lyceum Program is to promote high academic achievement and to produce well-rounded citizens,” according to the Lyceum guidelines.

Alumni share advice with Arete Award recipients

Three alumni from the 2003 graduating class of the Latin Lyceum program also gave advice to the graduating seniors.

Jamie Cullen, research associate at Yale University, obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut where she majored in Pathobiology with a minor in Microbiology.

Ms. Cullen encouraged the graduates to continue challenging themselves to think critically just as the Latin Lyceum taught her.  

In her research work at Yale University Medical School,  Cullen explained how she and her colleagues use lab experiments to gather information about why certain people have allergic reactions and others do not.

“My job is a never ending lab report,” chuckled Ms. Cullen. “Follow your path whatever it may be and stay true to yourself.”

Abubakr Dumbuya, the Vice President of Interest Rate Derivative Sales at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Bentley University in 2007. Abubakr inspired the graduates to be open to new experiences while remembering their roots as he detailed his experience moving from Sierra Leone at age 7.

Andrea Staid, a researcher at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, graduated from MIT in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. After graduating, Andrea moved to Los Angeles to work for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne as an engineer. During her talk, she recounted one of her most memorable experiences in the Latin Lyceum where she wrote 95 complaints about History Class and gave it to her teacher as an ode to Martin Luther’s The 95 Theses.

“The creative teachers of the Lyceum even gave me extra credit,” said Ms. Staid.

Ms. Staid’s academic credentials include a Masters of Science in Geography and Environmental Engineering and PhD in Environmental Systems Engineering both from John Hopkins University.

 

 

 

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