John Pardon ’11 will serve as this year’s valedictorian, and Veronica Shi ’11 will serve as Latin salutatorian, the University announced on Monday afternoon. Both of their addresses will be delivered at the Commencement ceremony on May 31.
Pardon, who said he was surprised by the news, explained that he was notified of the honor on April 14 by Associate Dean of the College Claire Fowler.
When Pardon arrived at Fowler’s office, he recalled, “She said, ‘Come in, you’re valedictorian.’ ”
Pardon, a mathematics major from Chapel Hill, N.C., spent last summer working on mathematical research for the Department of Defense and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in math at Stanford after graduation. His senior thesis examines mathematical knot theory and analyzes the characteristics of loops. Several of his papers are pending publication in prominent math journals.
Over fall break, Pardon and two other University students represented the United States in the International Varsity Debate in Singapore. The competition was conducted in Mandarin, and the team won the first place prize awarded to nonnative speakers.
“Pardon is one of the very few students who has completely mastered Chinese in his four years at Princeton,” East Asian studies professor C.P. Chou, who coached the Singapore debate team, said in an email. “In the 30 years of my career, this is definitely a very rare experience.”
Last weekend, Pardon was also one of two first-place finishers at the Chinese Bridge Competition in New York City, a competition recognizing contestants’ knowledge of Chinese, and is slated to travel to China in July for the finals.
Pardon was also awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a national award given to talented aspiring scientists, mathematicians and engineers, and was also part of a University team that placed second nationally in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition in 2008.
Shi, a Classics major from West Covina, Calif., said that the salutatorian address is “a really fun tradition, and I’m looking forward to having fun with it.” She said she will be working with classics professor Robert Kaster to prepare the address, which is traditionally delivered in Latin.
“[It’s] sort of meant to be an inside joke with the class,” she said of the speech. “It’s supposed to demonstrate to the parents that [students have learned Latin], so we all end up looking really smart.”
Shi’s senior thesis examines the evolution of epic poetry from its mythological origins into a political and cultural tool in ancient Greece and Rome.
Kaster, who has known Shi since her freshman year, described her as a “prodigiously talented scholar of classics who will make a mark in my field,” in an email.
Classics professor Joshua Katz, who advised Shi while she applied for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship — an award, which Shi won, that recognizes minority students who intend to pursue Ph.D.s in the arts and sciences — called Shi a “phenomenon.”
“She’s very intense, but she’s also very human, very down to earth,” he said. “I hope she learns things from me, [because] I’ve certainly learned an awful lot from her.”
Katz is also a columnist for The Daily Princetonian.
In December, Shi was also awarded the Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960 Graduating Scholarship. The scholarship funds two years of study at Oxford’s Worcester College, where Shi intends to pursue a master’s degree in Greek and Latin Languages and literature.
Both Pardon and Shi were awarded the Class of 1939 Princeton Scholar Award in September, an honor given to the seniors with the highest academic standing at the time.
Pardon and Shi have also both won the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence twice, and they were both elected to Phi Beta Kappa last year.
Correction
An earlier version of this article inaccurately stated that Shi intends to pursue a master's degree in philosophy. In fact, she intends to pursue a master's degree in Greek and Latin Languages and literature.
Read More
Economics professor Kate Ho passes away after long battle with cancer
Devon RudolphProfessor Kate Ho made seminal contributions to the economics of modeling competition in the healthcare sector and taught well-loved courses in industrial organization.
Professor Kate Ho made seminal contributions to the economics of modeling competition in the healthcare sector and taught well-loved courses in industrial organization.
Pedestrian left in critical condition after traffic collision on Nassau Street
Luke GrippoThe pedestrian was struck by a westbound 2015 Ford Explorer around 11:32 p.m. The driver was identified in the press release as a 39-year-old Princeton resident who cooperated with officers upon their arrival.
The pedestrian was struck by a westbound 2015 Ford Explorer around 11:32 p.m. The driver was identified in the press release as a 39-year-old Princeton resident who cooperated with officers upon their arrival.
Senior class jacket abruptly changed following accusations of AI design
Vitus LarrieuFor more than a century, Princeton seniors have donned “beer jackets” to protect their clothes during Reunions and commencement celebrations, typically with elaborate designs chosen by a class-wide contest. Now, with a selection process marred by accusations of generative AI use, the Class of 2026 may have written its own spot in Princeton history.
For more than a century, Princeton seniors have donned “beer jackets” to protect their clothes during Reunions and commencement celebrations, typically with elaborate designs chosen by a class-wide contest. Now, with a selection process marred by accusations of generative AI use, the Class of 2026 may have written its own spot in Princeton history.