McCallie Students and Faculty Honored at 2025 Awards Days

As McCallie head of school Lee Burns was announcing the winner of the 2025 Clifford Grayson Medal, the school’s highest student honor, senior boarding student Alex Hyde’s face became an odd mix of total surprise bordering on shock.

“It was a complete surprise,” said Hyde a few minutes after Burns handed him the medal. “I never would have dreamed this. But I’m the guy who will miss McCallie the most. I found my second home here.”

Hyde was not the only winner who felt that way. Marvin Johnson won the Campbell Memorial Award, which goes to the senior who finishes runner-up for the Grayson. Before heading off to swim for the University of Florida this summer, the Bahamas native Johnson said of the Campbell, “I’ll always be grateful to McCallie for taking a chance on me. I never thought I’d win this, but everything I’ve worked for since I came here has come true.”

Johnson also won the Chester Stephens Athletic Medal.

In March, senior Clay Lineberry was named the Walker Casey Award winner, which Burns once described as, “While there are other important awards at McCallie, the Walker Casey Award clearly speaks to the very soul of McCallie. This award seeks to recognize strength of character and the power of positive influence.”

A faculty member’s perspective on Hyde: Dean of Faculty and Curriculum Sumner McCallie described walking into the dining hall with Hyde at night and “you’d be halfway done with your dinner before Alex reached the table because so many people wanted to talk to him while he was getting his food. Everybody loved Alex and wanted to visit with him.”

Asked what he learned at McCallie that will stick with him for life, Hyde said, ‘Be yourself no matter what. A lot of comfort comes with that.”

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Congratulations to all our winners:

Scholarly & Class Awards

• The Clifford Barker Grayson Memorial Medal: Alex Hyde

• The Campbell Memorial Award: Marvin Johnson

• Salutatorian: Grant Sutherland

• Valedictorian: William Negus

Faculty Scholars

• Jack Archer
• Nishanth Basava 
• David Benefield
• Jack Bowen
• Forrest Chai
• William Fowler
• Prince Hao 
• Hudson Hazlewood
• Henry Imorde
• Clay Lineberry
• Mason Lovell
• Philippe Robert
• Will Turrell  
• Keaton Zeller

Language & Humanities

• Arthur L. Burns Modern Language Award: Aubrey Raff

• John C. Johnson Spanish Award: Mason Lovell, Grant Sutherland

• John Harvey Kent Latin Medal: Jake Jones

• Chinese Award: Johnny Blessing

• German Award: Jack Archer

• Strang Memorial English Award: Prince Hao

• Daughters of the Revolution History Award: Hudson Hazlewood

Mathematics & Sciences

• Michael M. Allison Memorial Geometry Award: Jake Lindquist

• James G. Ware Calculus Award: Jonathan Wu

• W.E. Brock Chemistry Award: Blaine Ellion

• Biology Award for Excellence: Johnny Blessing

• Wallace Purdy Physics Award: Will Turrell

Bible & Faith

• Dr. J.L. Bibb Memorial Bible Award: Henry Toole

• John Parks Bible Award: Carter Noland

Arts & Publications

• Senior Art Award: Eli Moldenhauer

• Gilbert Taliaferro Memorial Publications Award: Joshua Kim

Performing Arts & Creative Writing

• Forensics Award (Mock Trial/Model UN): Anthony Xian

• T.F. & M.L. Walker Dramatics Award: Jack Rogers

• Jack Kinser Music Award: Brody Cornelison

• National School Choral Award: Jake Studley, Nathaniel Johnston

Class‑Level Excellence (Dr. T.E.P. Woods Medals)

• 9th Grade: Luke Vollertsen

• 10th Grade: Henry Anderson, Blaine Ellion, Om Kapadia, Maxim Lee

• 11th Grade: Johnny Blessing, Alex Jiang, Jake Jones

Cum Laude Inductees

• Brock Adams
• Jack Archer
• Nishanth Basava
• David Benefield
• Jack Bowen
• CJ Burks
• Forrest Chai
• Sid Cheemakoti
• Alex Dermody
• Nathan Eastman
• Henry Edwards
• William Fowler
• James Gayle
• Prince Hao
• Hudson Hazlewood
• Drew Holland
• Henry Imorde
• Alex Johnson
• Oliver Jones
• Clay Lineberry
• Mason Lovell
• Andrew Lytras
• Cullen Mazo
• Eli Moldenhauer
• William Negus
• Gokul Palanati
• Luke Picheny
• Andrew Polen
• Philippe Robert
• Colin Sanders
• Cy Shumate
• Chandler Smith
• Grant Sutherland
• William Turrell
• R.J. Washington
• Xuan Yang
• Keaton Zeller

Outdoor & Service

• Scott Oliver Outdoor Award: Henry Clark

• Harry C. Milligan Memorial F.C.A. Award: Thomas Francescon

• Frederick Maddin McCallie Community Service Award: Brody Cornelison

Athletics & Character

• Bill Cherry Excellence in Athletics Award: Jack Bowen

• Coaches Award: Ryan Larrabee

• Three‑Sport Athletic Award: Teddy Wingfield

• Big Blue Teammate Award: Nate Coffman, Graham Stubblefield, Aidan Lee, Ben Wade

• Tornado Service to Athletics Award: Jack Archambault, Nathaniel Johnston

• MAC Character & Champions Award: Darius Otchere

• Warren S. Gardner Spirit Award: Cooper Gentle

• Chester Stephens Athletic Medal: Marvin Johnson

• Coaching for Character Award: Randy Odle

Faculty Awards

• Keo‑Kio Distinguished Teaching Award: Chris Cushenberry

• Faculty Award for Service to Residential Life: Eric Wolf

• Libby Daughdrill Award: Tammy Barber 

Additional Awards

• Maurice Contor Award: Mason Lovell

• J. Park McCallie Award: Canon Brock

• Don C. Peglar Award for Christian Leadership: Chandler Smith

• Glenn Hanes Growth to Potential Award: Cooper Wallace

• Senior Award for Service to Residential Life: Hayden Smith, Deron Levy

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