CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Athletics and the Harvard Varsity Club celebrated the Class of 2024 on Wednesday, at the annual Cory Thabit Family Senior Letterwinners' Dinner, which took place inside the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. The event honored the standout achievements of this year's graduating student-athletes.
The Francis H. Burr '09 Scholarship is awarded to a pair of seniors, one from a men's team and one from a women's program, who combine as nearly as possible Burr's remarkable qualities of character, leadership, scholarship and athletic ability. This year's recipients were
Rémi Drolet of skiing and
Isabella Gomez of women's golf.
A three-time All-America nominee, Drolet won the men's 20k classic at the 2023 NCAA Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships in all three of his competitive seasons. Drolet represented Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and has competed for Canada at the national team level since 2020. A team captain for the Crimson as a senior, he has conducted research in quantum field theory and wave turbulence.
A two-time Team MVP, Gomez won the Ivy League individual championship in 2023, earning a spot at the NCAA Regionals. A two-time All-Ivy honoree, Gomez broke the Harvard women's golf program record in average score (74.1) over her three competitive seasons. Gomez has conducted research around neurology, including winning the Best Clinical Paper Award of the 26
th World Congress of Neurology (WCN23).
The 2023-24 recipient of the Arthur L. Boland Award was
James Chen of men's heavyweight rowing. Annually given to the senior varsity athlete who will be attending medical school and best exemplifies those characteristics and qualities which have been the hallmark of Dr. Boland's care for Harvard athletes, Chen has spent time as a research intern with the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, volunteered with Harvard CrimsonEMS, and published multiple research papers. With the Ragon Institute, Chen conducted research around HIV and co-authored a paper published in Nature Communications on the team's findings.
Established in 1966 in honor of the late John P. Fadden's service as an athletic trainer and friend to Harvard athletes for many years, the John P. Fadden Award is given annually to a senior student (Varsity, JV or Intramural) who has overcome physical adversity to make a contribution to an eligible program. This year's honoree was
Jaeschel Acheampong of men's track and field, who persevered through a severe back injury and served the Crimson as a captain as a senior. A 2023 Second Team All-Ivy honoree in the indoor long jump, he earned USTFCCCA Academic All-America accolades and helped the Crimson win the 2023 Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track & Field title.
The John P. Reardon '60 Men's Award went to
Nik White of men's soccer. Presented annually to the Crimson's top scholar-athlete from a men's team, and nominated solely from Faculty Deans, Senior Tutors or Resident Deans, White served the Crimson as a two-year captain, while garnering athletic and academic recognition. A two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, White also gained All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy laurels. White persevered through multiple injuries over his career and will continue his academic and athletic journey at Stanford in the fall.
The Harvard-Radcliffe Foundation for Women's Athletics Prize was established by the Harvard-Radcliffe Foundation for Women's Athletics (HRFWA) and first presented in 1986. The honor is awarded yearly to Harvard's top scholar-athlete from a women's team, with the nominees coming solely from Faculty Deans, Senior Tutors or Resident Deans. This year's recipient is
Rey Chin of women's swimming and diving. Chin spent a year working with AmeriCorps during the COVID-19 pandemic and brought that spirit of service to the Harvard campus upon her return. She coordinated several team community service events, including work with the Heats-N-Eats Family Meal Program. A member of the 2022 Ivy League championship team, Chin spent this past summer conducting ecological field research in Mozambique.
The Mary G. Paget Prize was first established in 1975 and is awarded each year to the senior student who has contributed the most to women's athletics. Honored with the award earlier tonight was
Gabby DelPico of women's soccer. DelPico served as a co-founder and two-year President of the Harvard chapter of Athlete Ally, an organization dedicated to creating a safe space for LGBQ+ individuals and allies. On the field, she earned First Team All-Ivy, Ivy League All-Tournament Team, and CSC Academic All-District accolades over the course of her career.
The Carroll F. Getchell Manager of the Year Award is given annually to the manager in the senior class "who has best displayed integrity, courage, leadership, and ability" while an undergraduate manager. This year's honoree was Heavyn Lee of women's tennis, who served the Crimson as a two-year manager and served in multiple capacities in support of the Black community at Harvard and beyond. Lee played a critical role in supporting the team's day-to-day operations as well as a historic run to the NCAA tournament in 2024. Off the court, she heled multiple leadership positions with the Harvard Black Students' Association, acted as the co-chair of the Harvard Black Community Leaders, and worked in tandem with the Black Alumni Association.
Football's
Kwaku Adubofour was the recipient of the Francis J. Toland Community Service Award, which is presented to the senior student-athlete who has made the most outstanding contribution to Harvard and its neighboring communities. Adubofour gained distinction as one of 15 finalists for the 2023 FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to an FCS student-athlete who excels on the playing field, in the classroom, and across the community. During his time at Harvard, he volunteered at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, assisted in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital, and founded Harvard State 1636 – a student organization focused on promoting school spirit.
The Director's Award recognizes the person (or persons) who, through their pursuit of excellence and service to Harvard Athletics, has displayed exceptional leadership, personal character, integrity, and commitment to education through athletics. This year's award winner, as selected by Erin McDermott, The John D. Nichols '53 Family Director of Athletics, was
Aaron Shirley of men's track and field. An All-American who won individual and team titles at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, Shirley made an impact across the Harvard community. Shirley involved himself in several organizations on campus including the Faculty Standing Committee on Athletics, Harvard Athletics Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force, Harvard Black Men's Forum, Harvard Black Student's Association, and Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers.
The Radcliffe Prize was handed out to the athletic department's most outstanding athlete from a women's team. This year's honoree was
Maia Ramsden of women's cross country and track and field. Over her decorated career, Ramsden has won two NCAA national championships, earned USTFCCA Northeast Regional Track Athlete of the Year three times, and captured 10 Ivy League individual titles. Ramsden won the women's 1,500m at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships before taking first place in the women's mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Ramsden helped the Harvard distance medley relay team break the NCAA record at the Penn Relays in 10:37.55 – a time that ranks third all-time in the world.
Harvard's most outstanding athlete from a men's team is presented with the William J. Bingham '16 Award. The 2023-24 recipient was
Henry von der Schulenburg of men's tennis. Over the course of his career, von der Schulenberg helped lead the Crimson to three straight Ivy League championships and three straight NCAA tournament appearances. He collected ITA All-America accolades, gained First Team All-Ivy in singles three times, and totaled over 100 career wins across singles and doubles play.
The Harvard Varsity Club has been instrumental to the success of Harvard Athletics since it was founded in 1886. The Varsity Club preserves the traditions, fosters the ideals, and advances the interests of Harvard Athletics through a wide range of activities for our 20,000+ members. The annual Cory Thabit Family Senior Letterwinners' Dinner, established in 1967 to honor the contributions of the outgoing senior class, is one example of the many functions provided by the Varsity Club.
