Aiken Prep graduation speaker: Use world to see human struggle
6/1/2008 10:15 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend



By ROB NOVIT

Senior writer

The McMurtrie family has a long association with Aiken Prep, dating back some 50 years.

The guest speaker at Sunday's commencement exercises, U.S. Navy Capt. Ted McMurtrie (ret.), attended the preparatory in the 1960s.

At the conclusion of his address, McMurtrie proudly saluted his nephew, senior Will McMurtrie, who will enroll at the U.S. Naval Academy in July.

A total of 14 students graduated from Aiken Prep, including valedictorian John Lewis and salutatorian McMurtrie.

Other graduates are Tara Gail Stoker Bostwick, Chase Daniel Epting, Arthur Lucas Giraud, Danielle Nicole Gregory, John William Loveland, Timothy Bradford Major, Ervin Lee Cameron Moeckel, James Rainer Neely, Donald Edward Shaffer III and Benjamin Lawrence Spurrier.

Ted McMurtrie encouraged the graduates to see the world as a way to increase their knowledge of the struggles and tragedies that humans inflict on each other.

One of his daughters is completing a Peace Corps assignment in Madagascar, where she has lived for two years without electricity or running water, relying on river water that must be boiled before use. She will return to the United States, McMurtrie said, with an understanding of how the world struggles to survive.

In his address, John Lewis said the graduates had one key thing in common - an Aiken Prep education.

The faculty, he said, lived up to the school's mission by preparing the students for college, helping them master academic and critical-thinking skills and inspiring in them a sense of curiosity and a love of learning.

Head of School Deborah Taussig-Boehner presented Lewis with the school's Palmetto Award, while McMurtrie received the Headmaster's award. Neely was named the Thomas E. Ewing Spirit Award winner.

The Melanie Farmer Citizenship Award went to junior Pauli Jett. The Jaime Ortiz-Patino Award for contributions to the school was presented to Gary and Genny Aldrecht, grandparents of John Loveland.

Music was furnished by sophomore Tayler Rodgers, who sang "You Raise Me Up." Earlier, Taussig-Boehner referred to the song, noting that the graduates raised up the faculty with their inquisitive approach to academics.

Other awards, previously given out, were published in the graduation program.

* Departmental awards were as follows: Matthew Ulmer, Eleanor Bostwick (art); Matthew Scharf (computers); John Loveland (drama); Allie Norton (beginning band); John Lewis (concert band); Nikki Fischbach, Douglas Greer (literature); Stephanie Ling, Tayler Rodgers (writing); Pauli Jett (French); Stephanie Ling, John Lewis (math); Alex Steiner, Pauli Jett (science); Darby Winter, Douglas Greer (social studies); Johnie Williams, Britney Allen (Spanish); Anna Brisbin (psychology); Britney Allen (The Aiken Knight); Hannah Hirschhorn, Heather Hirschhorn, Sabrina Giancroce (U.S. Constitution).

* Scholarship awards for highest GPA: Pauli Jett (grade 11), Anna Brisbin (10), Taylor Blanton (9), Stephanie Ling (8), Zach Harrington (7), Madelyn Eaves (6).

* Top Middle School Awards: Kelsey Sawyer (Melanie Farmer Citizenship); Justin McMurtrie (headmaster's award); Stephanie Ling (Palmetto Award).

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.

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