Sacred Heart Greenwich Inducts 16 Exceptional Seniors into the Cum Laude Society

Last week, Sacred Heart Greenwich honored Goal II’s commitment to intellectual values by celebrating the induction of 16 exceptional seniors into the Cum Laude Society—a prestigious honor recognizing academic excellence, justice, and integrity.

Congratulations to:

Charlotte B.               Sophia L.           

Hazel C.                    Moira M.

Lily C.                        Mary M. 

Ainsley C.                 Colette M.

Teresa H.                  Charlotte N.

Anne H.                     Emily S. 

Sofia L.                     Julia S. 

Marina L.                  Amy W. 

As part of the ceremony, we were delighted to welcome back Kristen Walsh ’19, Valedictorian of her class, now working at Ernst & Young, and proud sister of Amy Walsh ’25, who was inducted this year. Kristen shared her reflections on her own Cum Laude induction and how the pursuit of intellectual excellence at Sacred Heart has continued to shape her journey beyond our campus. Her thoughtful and inspiring words served as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of a Sacred Heart Greenwich education.

Please read below for Kristen’s insightful remarks.

A few weeks ago, I was at a team dinner at a steakhouse in Philadelphia... for about 4 hours. As you’d imagine, we covered a lot of ground in our conversations, including the value of test-taking as an educational tool.

I was sitting beside a former high school teacher, who argued adamantly that testing wasn’t a good measure of student learning – for all the reasons you’d expect. That it promotes memorization and regurgitation of content instead of fostering creativity and critical thinking. It causes students anxiety, and it limits the content that teachers can cover as they prioritize a rigid curriculum over other potentially valuable topics. More practical knowledge - for instance, how to file taxes?

Undoubtedly, we’ve all had experiences that align with this view of test-taking – the panic it can cause, the feeling of walking out thinking that it didn’t really assess our mastery of the material. But it’s actually for this reason that I voiced opposition. I explained that in my experience, the value of those tests came from my preparation and post-exam reflections - not the assessments themselves. Studying for them is how I discovered who I am as a lifelong learner - how I absorb and retain information, and how I set myself up to apply concepts in novel situations. It’s how I familiarized myself with my own strengths and weaknesses, and how I learned what questions I should be asking along the way. When I left an exam feeling like I had been ill-prepared, I asked myself: where had I gone astray? How would I prepare for the next one differently?

My colleagues were visibly impressed. One, whom I had just met, responded with flattery: “well... not every student is a Kristen.”

Now, I say this not to boast about a lovely compliment I received. I say this because in the context in which he was speaking, all of you being honored today are like me. We are Sacred Heart Greenwich educated - and what I said at that table gave a mere glimpse into what that means.

A Sacred Heart education aims to develop the whole person. In fact, its guiding principles prioritize faith, social awareness, community building, and personal growth - all in tandem with intellectual values. And what emerge are students with experience grappling with complexity, asking meaningful questions, and considering perspectives different from their own. Mark my words: in a few months, you’ll all walk out of here with some incredibly well-stocked toolkits. Now, you may not realize immediately the extent to which you have the jackpot of all toolkits. But someday, you’ll look back on this day and realize the magnitude of what we’re celebrating: you’ve acquired tools that will forever be at your disposal, and already they have led you to success.

We’re not here because of good grades in a couple classes and some solid standardized test scores. You’re not here because you have a knack for math or memorizing historical dates. You all found ways to equip yourselves for success across all subject areas over the last four years. Those that interested you, and those that didn’t. Those that aligned with your strengths, and those that very much did not. The way you have enabled your own widespread success is a microcosm for what is about to come, and your well-roundedness and widely applicable skills will prove to be assets continually.

Mind you... I don’t mean to glorify anything or suggest that all our egos should skyrocket right now. In the coming years, you’re going to flop — hard. Many times, actually — Academically, professionally, and personally. In the grand scheme of things, you know very little, and while well-equipped, you’re hardly invincible.

But in my experience... I like my odds. My odds of figuring it out. My odds of learning quickly under pressure and performing at a high level. My odds of diving headfirst into the unknown, learning from my mistakes, and setting myself up to succeed, nonetheless.

So, my message to you all today is this: I think you should like your own odds, too. Be confident in your skillsets. Step out of your comfort zone knowing you have strong foundations to help you handle it. Raise questions, challenge preconceived ideas, follow your curiosity, and be the provider of your own internal pep talks along the way. When you start to feel up a creek without a paddle, remind yourself of your weapon of a toolkit.

Now this can go hand in hand with acknowledging how much more there is for you to learn. Prepare to be proven wrong, and to be okay with it. Be ready to be surprised and challenged by what you encounter. Raise your hand in your college class and state your piece, and don’t just brace yourself for the possibility that someone will disagree convincingly. Actually embrace that possibility.

Be ready to walk into the first day of your corporate job with your head held high, only to set off the security alarms in the lobby. Be ready to miss a flight during your dream-worthy solo travels... like I did on this exact date last year. Be ready to be humbled as you go to cross the street in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam... where there are no crosswalks and at no point will any of the traffic be stopping for you. Be ready to catch a mistake you made in a group setting, and to raise your hand and say “that’s my bad.” “that one’s on me.” Or my personal favorite: “Big Oops.”

I want to leave you with a concept put forth by organizational psychologist Adam Grant that captures this mindset and approach to life – one that we are ideally equipped to emulate as students of the Sacred Heart. He explains, “[w]hat we want to attain is confident humility: having faith in our capability while appreciating that we may not have the right solution or even be addressing the right problem. That gives us enough doubt to reexamine our old knowledge and enough confidence to pursue new insights.”

I go back to confident humility all the time. It’s a reminder to approach things confidently and wholeheartedly, without fear of looking like you don’t know everything or have it all figured out. None of us do. So, my best advice is to realize that there’s no shame in learning that you’re wrong. Realize that with each new person you meet comes an opportunity to enrich your own perspective. Approach every future test, every mistake, every interaction, every experience, and every day with the goal of improving yourself, not proving yourself.