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Three members of the Fuqua School Class of 2021, Luke Gee, Tyler Harris and Catherine Rutherford, were inducted into the Cum Laude Society at the Fuqua Upper School Fall Academic Awards program Friday, Oct. 9.

Each inductee received a Cum Laude pin, certificate, and signed the chapter membership book. These members of the Class of 2021 are the first three inductees for this academic year; the final three will be inducted during a spring ceremony.

The Cum Laude Society, an international organization founded in 1906, recognizes the top 20% of each senior class based on grade point average and is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools. Fuqua School is one of 16 schools in Virginia to have membership in the Cum Laude Society.

Fuqua School also recognized student achievement in the Scholars Program, which inducts students in grades 10, 11 and 12 based on their academic record from the previous school year. Qualifying students were recognized as High Academic Honors, Academic Honors, and Honors.

Also honored at the assembly were students being inducted into various academic societies. Fuqua School has eight academic societies, each designed to recognize academic excellence and strong interest in specific content areas. These societies recognize students in English, math, history, science, Spanish, Latin, art and theater. Interested students who met the eligibility criteria applied for membership.

“I am very thankful that we were still able to host our annual fall awards program,” Jennings Custis, upper school head, said. “Although it was not in our traditional setting, we were able to honor each class in grades 10-12 in three separate programs. Unlike past programs, masks, socially-distanced chairs, and a small setting were all guidelines in place for us to have a safe program; however, we were able to keep with tradition and honor our students. While continuing to be faced with this ‘new normal’, we are working hard to keep our traditions and programs in place for our students.”