Laguna Inducts Nine Students Into Esteemed Cum Laude Society

Congratulations to our 2019 Cum Laude Society Inductees!

Class of 2020
Luming (Lucy) Cao
Audrey Murphy
Kai Nakamura
Caetano Perez-Marchant
Katherine (Kiki) Tolles

Class of 2019
Bowen (Tony) Bai
Jordan Bollag
Bennett Coy
Jack Stein

These nine recipients were honored at a ceremony in Spaulding Theatre on Wednesday, 4/24 for demonstrating academic excellence (top 10% of junior class, top 20% of senior class), good character, honor, and integrity in all aspects of school life. Students who were inducted as Juniors in 2018—Caitlin Gainey, Sullivan Israel, Isabella Sabino, and Julia Stone—shared thoughtful vignettes about each inductee before they were presented with a certificate and a Cum Laude Society pin.

1998 Alumnus Nicholas Miller was the keynote speaker at this year’s induction ceremony. He joked about how the Class of 1998 thought they were a pretty big deal during their time at Laguna. However, he was quick to recognize that his Laguna education was a priceless gift from his parents and that the small environment and strong sense of community are aspects he has been trying to recreate ever since graduating. He also now realizes that the small nature of the Laguna community provides a unique opportunity for every student to feel like a “big deal.” He encouraged students to remember that Laguna has supported them well and will continue to support them for years to come.

A graduate of Bowdoin College, Nick started his career at a marketing consulting firm in Boston before returning to California to work for the family business, The Thornhill Companies, to which he’s dedicated his efforts since 2004. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Nick has continually played a key role in the company’s industry-leading successes, and served as a strategic counsel in the company’s recent configuration of Miller Family Wine Company. In 2013 he was selected by the magazine The Wine Enthusiast for their first ever named group of Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers in the United States. Nick lives in Hope Ranch with his wife, Shelly—whom he met at Bowdoin, and his three young children.

After the ceremony, the honorees and their families celebrated at a special lunch in Ruston Amphitheatre.

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