Announcing: Valedictorian, Aurelian Speakers, and Faculty Speaker

Sophia Liu ’25 has been selected as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2025. Each year, faculty members gather to choose the Valedictorian from a group of V Formers who both excel academically and participate actively in the Lawrenceville community.

In preparation for her address during Commencement, Liu plans to focus on “exploring different options in life.” Through her speech, she hopes to encourage her peers at Lawrenceville to remain open to exploration rather than limiting their interest to a single area. “It’s hard to cover the richness of [the] Lawrenceville experience in the limited time frame of my speech,” Liu mentioned, “the main message I hope to convey is ‘never say never,’ which was an essential part of my high school journey.”

Upon receiving the news about her selection from V Form Level Director Etienne Bilodeau, Liu was “overwhelmed by gratitude,” and she feels deeply honored to speak on behalf of her class. “I regret not choosing my graduation dress seriously,” Liu joked. “I am looking for a better one.”

Liu described the Lawrenceville community as a “strong network of support.” Recalling the process of course selections in her II Form year, Liu recalled how her advisor reached out to Miguel Bayona P’12 ’18, who offered her the opportunity to do an Independent Study, allowing her to pursue her passion in Computer Science at a more advanced level. To Liu, that was “the best support” she has ever received. “Never be afraid to ask for help,” she advised, “because you will be surprised to find how much resources and support Lawrenceville offers.”

Looking back at her first year at Lawrenceville, Liu described herself  as “pretty close-minded” because she was certain that she would pursue Computer Science in the future. However, as a Hutchins Scholar in Science Research, she “became more open to life sciences and genetics” through her internship at the Seung Kim Laboratory at Stanford University Medical School. Reflecting on her time in the program, Liu shared that what made the experience so memorable was not only the academic growth but also the joyful moments with friends. “Some fun memories include the time when my peers and I hovered over a kitchen countertop, spending two hours to understand one sentence in a research paper while baking cookies,” Liu detailed, “and another one was when my peers and I put on masks and gloves to clear the molded dishes and kitchen sink left behind by other students in the Upper House.” These moments, she explained, were just as formative as the time spent in the lab, shaping her experience in unexpected ways.

Thus, for the underformers, Liu highlighted the importance of  “putting oneself out there for different experiences.” She stated, “stepping out of the comfort zone always helps you to understand yourself better and perceive your place in the world before coming hastily to a rigid self-definition.”

The Lawrenceville Class of 2025 voted V Formers Tenjiwe Sithole and Nathan Muchai as its Aurelian Speakers. Each year, the V Form selects two students to recognize for their sterling character, high scholarship, and forceful leadership.

Sithole’s guiding principle during her time at Lawrenceville was to “make a positive impact on people around me.” Looking back at the various groups she was a part of at Lawrenceville, including the Student Council as Vice President of Social Life, Girls’ Varsity Crew Team, and Girls’ Junior Varsity Field Hockey, Sithole stated that she would always “try to brighten people’s days,” and her optimism has allowed her to “discover friendship across Houses and grade levels… and gain “a lot of experiences with people from all across the world, people who would continue to be a part of [her] life for a long time.” 

Reflecting on her years in the Carter House, Sithole said, “The House activities, whether it’s the invite-a-friend event Carter Cupid, or the dance Cartera, were especially memorable for me.” 

Sithole encourages the underformers to “try something that you are passionate about and also try something else that’s new to [them] because Lawrenceville offers such a diverse array of opportunities for explorations.”

Reflecting on his experience in the Lawrenceville community, Muchai “first thought of the Griswold House,”where he is currently a prefect.

“The House community for me was very profound for my upbringing at Lawrenceville,” Muchai said. “It fostered a sense of brotherhood that I didn’t have in my own family, as I only had one sister.”

Throughout his time at Lawrenceville, Muchai was also a Rope Course Instructor and an athlete in both the Boys’ Varsity Crew Team and the Boys’ Varsity Swimming Team. “All those experiences expanded my friend circle and connected me with people [whom] I never thought I would meet before coming here,” he reflected.

As an international student from Kenya, Muchai not only achieved his initial goal of “seeking for a more diverse experience in the United States,” he also “learned a lot more about [himself] at Lawrenceville.” The different roles Muchai held on campus allowed him to “grow as a person beyond [his] comfort zone.” He concluded, “I learned to use and create opportunities for the benefit of myself and the community.”

Looking ahead to his address as one of the Aurelian Speakers, Muchai hopes to leave listeners with the message of “how Lawrenceville is part of a much bigger experience.” He noted, “We are all going to head our separate ways as the Class of 2025, and I hope everyone can build on the lessons they learned at Lawrenceville throughout the rest of their lives.”

When asked to give a final piece of  advice to his fellow students, Muchai remarked, “Never be afraid to reach out to people and try to expand your relationships.”

The Class of 2025 has chosen Spanish Teacher Julio Alcantara P’28 as this year’s Faculty Speaker, an honor that recognizes a teacher who has profoundly impacted students through their kindness and passion. 

At Lawrenceville, Alcantara serves as the Head Coach for Boys Varsity Water Polo. Through his multiple roles, Alcantara realized that Lawrenceville’s “greatest strength lies in [its] community—in the bonds Lawrentians built since the moment [they] first stepped on campus.” 

When first informed of his selection as the Faculty Speaker, Alcantara felt “elated, nervous, and incredibly honored.” For him, the role comes with big responsibility. “I have the utmost respect for the Class of 2025, and my greatest hope is to make them proud and offer a message that they can carry into the next chapter of their lives,” Alcantara remarked. 

He plans to base his address on the message of kindness and community, which are values he “[tries] to live by everyday,” both in and out of classrooms. “I hope to encourage students to reflect on their own Lawrenceville family, and to recognize how far we’ve come together,” Alcantara said, “in the end, it’s the strength of our relationships and the compassion we show one another that truly define our experience here.”

As his central piece of advice for the Lawrenceville community, Alcantra shared, “Nurture the relationships you’ve built, and use them to lift one another up as we all strive to become the best versions of ourselves…and above all, treat each other with kindness.”

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