Ryanne Leslie Receives SCH's Shield Award at Graduation 

Awarded for the fifth time since it was first presented in 2019, The SCH Shield Award honors Richard A. Hayne who, as a longtime board chair, “inspired unbounded curiosity and independent thought while maintaining a courageous and resilient spirit with thoughtfulness and integrity.”

The school’s highest honor was presented to graduate Ryanne Leslie at SCH’s commencement ceremony on June 10, 2023. Remarks accompanying the award were provided by the faculty: “Ryanne has balanced a competitive fencing career that has taken her around the world in competitions with academic excellence in her classes at SCH. Her teachers and peers admire her sincere drive, remarkable discipline, and diligent organization. Ryanne is dedicated, intellectually curious, incredibly resilient, and mature beyond her years. As a student and stalwart member of the Honor Council, she leads a life characterized by integrity. Ryanne approaches life with the utmost thoughtfulness, courage, and ambition to make a difference in our world.”

Ryanne, who began fencing at age 9 and recently clinched the under-20 world championship fencing title alongside Team USA,  will matriculate at Notre Dame in the fall where she hopes to follow in the footsteps of many Olympic fencers. But her ultimate goal? To make the sport accessible to all. 

“The sport is expanding, things are changing,” she says. “There are more people of color in positions of power and that brings me a lot of joy. I believe in helping minority youth achieve their dreams. I want to serve as that representation for the next generation.”