For Dwight Global Online School student-athletes, Signing Day is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. Sitting at a table dressed in sweatshirts or caps bearing the name of the college of their choice, athletes together sign a letter of commitment to play their sport at the collegiate level. 

For the second year in a row, Dwight Global held a Signing Day dinner held at Dwight New York. The celebration honored all recruited senior athletes and their families and friends, many of whom were able to make it to New York for the gathering. 

Athina Schlepphorst, who will be playing tennis at the University of Pennsylvania next year, was not alone in noting that participating in the event was an incredible honor.

Students and their families and friends gathered for dinner in the Dwight School NY Quad and were treated to congratulations from Dwight Schools Chancellor Stephen Spahn and Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn, both of whom were themselves Ivy League college athletes.

Chancellor Spahn said it best, “You have all proven to be an elite athlete in your sport, but you have also gained the best education preparing you for college. The lessons you have learned in sports are something that makes you all unique, and I know Dwight has prepared you to take on any challenge that life may come your way.” 

Dwight Global Head of School Louisa Childs, Director of College Counseling Megan Miller, Head of Academics and Student Affairs Liz Hutton, Director of Admissions Alicia Morris, IB Diploma Program Teacher Ryan Markatos, Science Teacher Stacie Kilhaney, Events Coordinator Jill Brown, and Partnerships Manager Mark Clemente were also in attendance.

Each student athlete had a chance to speak, and to publicly thank those who supported them along the way. Students who were unable to attend in person submitted video speeches, which were played at the gathering.

Dwight Global’s mission is to identify, foster and embrace each student’s unique ‘spark of genius’.  “We are extremely proud of our athletes, who exemplify Dwight Global’s ‘spark of genius’ ethos,” said Ms. Childs.  “The athletes signed their paperwork in unison to acknowledge their hard work and dedication during high school and their commitment to play their sport at college next year, or professionally.”  

Senior Ayre Seals, who I’ll be rowing at Columbia University next year, stated, “I’ve always wanted to perform high academically and athletically, and Dwight Global has really given me the best of both worlds.”

Signing Day offered a chance for the Dwight Global community to come together, reflect on the end of the students’ Upper School years, celebrate their past and current achievements, and talk about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

Members of Dwight Global Class of 2026 will be joining teams at Haverford, Amherst, University of Chicago, Hobart & William Smith, University of Rhode Island, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, UCSD, Barnard, Swarthmore, Williams, Bucknell, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Yale, Notre Dame, UIUC, Harvard, Auburn, Boston College, UCLA, Babson, Georgetown, Williams, Brandeis, University of Michigan, and NJIT, among others. 

These athletes join fellow Dwight Global alumni athletes currently playing sports at Duke University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Dartmouth College, Emory University, and many colleges and universities around the United States.  Other Dwight Global graduates will play professionally next year.