Knightly News

We are pleased to announce the 2023 Episcopal Webster Scholars!

Nate McLean

An avid math enthusiast, Nate McLean has had tremendous success in mathematics competitions for years. In sixth grade, he placed first in the Algebra I individual competition at the Mu Alpha Theta state convention and qualified for the state Mathcounts competition. The following year, he finished first place in the countdown round of the state Mathcounts competition and earned fifth place overall. He also earned AMC 8 Honor Roll, which recognizes the top 5% of AMC 8 test takers. (AMC 8 is given to middle school students around the world by the Mathematical Association of America.)  In addition, Nate placed first in District Rally for Geometry and Division 2 State Rally.

In addition to success in math, Nate is actively involved in numerous academic areas and the community. He participates in Youth Legislature, chess club, soccer, cross country and track. His contributions to Youth Legislature earned him recognition as a Youth Legislature Hall of Fame Inductee. In seventh grade, he was a member of the winning team in the Battle of the Books competition. Nate is a National Spanish Exam Silver Medalist. Silver medalists must earn between the 85th and 94th percentile on the National Spanish Exam, which is given to sixth through twelfth grade students to measure performance in the Spanish language. 

In seventh grade, Nate earned the Knight in Shining Armor Award, which recognizes two girls and two boys in each Middle School grade for demonstrating service and positive leadership in the school community. Students are nominated by their classmates and chosen by the faculty. He was also awarded the Episcopal Performing Arts Award for his contributions and achievements in the co-curricular aspects of the arts. Nate has previously served as a Student Peer Leader, and this year, he is a member of the Student Council and a Student Ambassador.

These well-rounded experiences have made a lasting impression on Nate. “An important lesson I have learned is to not compare yourself to others, but to focus on your past to improve,” he says. “Participating in Mathcounts and cross country has taught me this lesson. At Mathcounts practices, our goal is to get a higher score on our worksheet than the previous one, not to have the highest score. At cross country practices our goal is to set a personal record not to be the fastest on the team.”

Even as Nate dedicates himself to academics and school life, he makes time for service. “I went on a church mission trip to Birmingham, Alabama, and it shaped me spiritually,” he says of a recent experience. “The mission was to paint houses for people in need, but we ended up learning about and making friends with the people we helped as well. This trip showed me how much you can learn about someone just by doing something for them.”

Nate looks forward to transitioning to Upper School next year. “I like attending Episcopal because of the variety of activities, morning community time, and the Mo Ranch field trip,” he says. “Episcopal is filled with opportunity and community.

Abigail Qi

A successful Science Olympiad national competitor and art enthusiast, Abigail Qi looks forward to participating in Episcopal’s art, sports and mentorship programs. “The resources all seemed to be the best of the best with a lot of advanced equipment,” she reported after taking a school tour. Abigail is a part of her school’s Science Olympiad team, competing in many national invitational competitions and winning dozens of medals.  At the national competition hosted by CalTech last year, she placed third in Green Generation and sixth in Electric Wright Stuff, earning Louisiana’s first Science Olympiad national medals. In sixth grade, Abigail placed third in microbiology in the state science fair competition. The following year, she placed first at state. Last year, she was named a Broadcom Masters top 300 for her entry titled “How Do the Populations of Vibrio Respond to Bdellovibrio and Like Organisms?” The research examined the impacts of the vibrio bacteria in Louisiana oyster hatcheries and how a bacteria called bdellovibrio may help. Abigail found that introducing the helpful bacteria could prevent dying hatcheries, thus benefitting those in the seafood industry and the state of Louisiana. 

While these experiences allow Abigail to learn a lot academically, she has also learned life lessons. “An important lesson I learned was the importance of staying calm and stepping up to take responsibility for my team,” says Abigail of a recent Science Olympiad national competition. During the event, Abigail’s team experienced a challenge with an airplane they built. Abigail was able to pivot quickly, and the team placed sixth in the country.

Abigail balances her love of science with her love of art. She has been a winner in the Blick Art Materials Celebrating Art Contest twice, and her art was selected for publication in the anthology. This year her art piece “Stuck in my head” made her a recipient of the Scholastic Gold Key award. She is also a successful pianist.

Abigail played in the volleyball District All Stars game. She is the Beta Club President of her school and has earned Gold Medal Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam two times in a row. She also received the AMC 8: Honor Roll Certificate and the Certificate of Excellence for Young Women in Mathematics.

Webster Scholars Award Honors Episcopal Legend

Webster Scholars are bright and motivated rising ninth grade students who distinguish themselves as academic and community leaders. This is the most prestigious award granted by Episcopal. Recognition is based on GPA, ACT scores, a student statement, a writing sample, teacher recommendations, demonstrated leadership skills and an interview with school administrators.

The Webster Scholars program is named for Episcopal’s first Head of School the Rev. Ralph Webster. Father Webster was instrumental in establishing Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, calling it a “bold new venture.” Honoring outstanding students with the Webster Scholars Award continues that bold vision by ensuring that bright and motivated students have the opportunity to grow academically, artistically, athletically and spiritually. 

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.