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Commencement for the Class of 2025 took place today, May 23. Seniors gathered on campus for one final time as Archer students to receive their head wreaths and take individual and group photos before boarding the bus to the Skirball Cultural Center. There, family and friends gathered to witness them walk up to the stage. The ceremony opened with welcome remarks from Board of Trustees Co-Chairs Frank Marshall and Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, followed by Head of School Elizabeth English. Senior Stephanie Perea then delivered a heartfelt address to her classmates and the audience. Next, Kathleen Keelty gave the faculty speech, sharing reflections and encouragement to the graduates. The Class of 2025 performed their class song, “In My Life” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, before Upper School Student Body President Rachel Chung introduced the keynote speaker, Lieutenant Governor of California, Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis, who inspired the graduates and audience with her speech. The diplomas were officially awarded by Archer Co-Founder Dr. Diana Meehan, Ms. English, Director of Upper School Maggie Cenan, and 12th Grade Dean of Community, Culture, and Belonging Casey Huff. To close the ceremony, the graduates sang the school song, “Within the Walls of Archer,” before exiting the stage as newly-minted alums. The celebration continued with a joyful reception, where graduates, families, friends, and faculty gathered to honor the Class of 2025 and their achievements.
The results of the 2025 National Spanish Exam (NSE) are in, and Archer's Spanish students earned an impressive total of 60 medals (including 11 gold medalists across levels 1-5) and 55 honorable mention certificates. Over 80,000 Spanish students from across the nation took the NSE this year. Out of the 203 students at Archer who completed the exam, 57% earned either a medal or an honorable mention. See the exam results.
Additionally, four senior medallists in the especially challenging upper levels, Tavi Memoli, Lucía Williams, Emma Winkler, and Cezanne Silverton, and sophomore Adella T. were awarded the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese’s (AATSP) prestigious Kevin Cessna-Buscemi Global Citizen Scholarship.
The Brentwood Community Council honored Oona S. ’26 at its annual Student Achievement Awards. Oona was recognized for starting the organization, “Rhythm for Residents.” The mission of “Rhythm for Residents is to bridge the gap between young people and the elderly and to combat social isolation by offering student volunteers the opportunity to build intergenerational connections through the joy of musical performance. Representatives from the offices of local elected officials–Traci Park, Ben Allen, Lindsey Horvath, Karen Bass, and Jacqui Irwin–presented certificates of recognition to the six students who were recognized.
Archer’s 12th annual STEM Symposium took place on campus Saturday, May 17. The event provides high school students with a platform to showcase their STEM projects and share their accomplishments with the broader community. This year’s symposium featured 43 presenters from Archer and 26 from other Los Angeles-area high schools.
Attendees explored student research during poster sessions held in the Zeller Student Center and attended breakout presentations that offered a deeper dive into individual projects. Roundtable Discussions further enriched the experience by providing a space for student researchers from all schools to meet in small groups and engage in meaningful dialogue about their research experiences, challenges, and takeaways.
The day concluded with a keynote address by Danielle Marsh, a Spacecraft Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a lead engineer on the Mars Sample Return Mission and a mentor for young women in STEM, Marsh inspired the audience with her insights and experiences. The event closed with the presentation of the RISE Scholar Awards—congratulations to Callie R. ’26, Finley V. ’26, Caroline C. ’26, and Sophia Shin ’25 on receiving this honor.
Archer’s 2024-2025 yearbook and newspaper editors earned the prestigious National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Leadership Award. Congratulations to Hestia’s Flame editorial board: Parker K. ’25, Emma W. ’25, Abby B. ’25, Ashley C. ’27, Caroline F. ’27, Olivia H.-G. ’26, Natalie L. ’26, Catalina L.-S. ’27, Rachel M. ’25, and Pasha S. ’27. Additional congratulations to The Oracle’s editorial board: Surya P. ’25, Siena F. ’25, Zoe G. ’25, Meredith H. ’26, Emily P. ’26, Oona S. ’26, Lola T. ’26, Sydney T. ’26, Francie W. ’25, Melinda W. ’26, and Lucy W. ’25.
Archer’s 2025 Athletics Awards Night was held on Tuesday, May 13, in the Zeller Student Center. The evening began with a warm welcome and a reflective address from Director of Athletics, Kim Smith.
Each Upper School Varsity team recognized three standout athletes with awards for Most Improved, Panther, and MVP. Tennis seniors Presley F. ’25, Parker K. ’25, and Simonne M. ’25 shared brief descriptions of each of the categories before coaches took the stage to present the individual honors.
As the program moved through the sports seasons, the community enjoyed dynamic highlight reels celebrating the R.I.S.E (Reach. Inspire. Strengthen. Execute.) of Archer’s fall, winter, and spring sports teams. These moments of reflection and celebration set the stage for the team awards.
The evening culminated in the presentation of Archer’s major athletic honors. Head Coaches introduced the awardees: Rookie of the Year Jacqueline M. ’28, Scholar-Athlete Surya P. ’25, and Athlete of the Year Arianna B. ’27.
To close the celebration, Coach Smith returned to the stage with final reflections and heartfelt congratulations, bringing a meaningful end to an inspiring year in Archer athletics.
The Archer School for Girls is proud to announce that Lieutenant Governor of California, Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis, will serve as the 2025 Commencement speaker. A distinguished public servant, accomplished diplomat, and a steadfast champion for women's leadership, Ambassador Kounalakis will address Archer’s graduating Class of 2025 during the ceremony to be held on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Skirball Cultural Center.
The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles is pleased to announce it has received a $150,000 grant from The Hearst Foundations towards the School’s Flexible Tuition program, which awarded $3.7 million to students in the 2024-2025 school year.
The Archer School for Girls admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status in its hiring or in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs or other school-administered programs.
The Archer School for Girls’ mission is to educate students in an environment specifically designed for girls. As such, the school will consider any candidate for admission who identifies as a girl. Once admitted to Archer, all students in good academic standing who abide by Archer’s code of conduct and who meet requirements for graduation will be eligible to receive an Archer diploma, regardless of any change in sexual identity or other legally protected status.