Gilmour Academy is proud to announce the Class of 2026 valedictorian and salutatorian, Esther Dai ’26 and Holly Hunter ’26, whose accomplishments inside and outside the classroom reflect the depth of talent, curiosity and character within this year’s graduating class.

Esther, the Class of 2026 valedictorian, will attend Duke University this fall to study electrical and computer engineering. Holly, this year’s salutatorian, will attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she plans to study biomedical engineering. Holly was also selected for Honors Carolina and awarded a full-ride academic scholarship renewable for four years.

At Gilmour, Esther built one of the most demanding academic schedules the school offers. A National Merit Finalist, Glen Oak Scholarship recipient and AP Scholar with Distinction, she completed 12 AP courses, Multivariable Calculus and independent AP coursework while earning 5s on every AP exam she has taken. She was inducted into the Cum Laude Society and National Honor Society and received departmental awards in mathematics, English, French, Latin, chemistry and physics.

Her interests extended far beyond the classroom. Through Gilmour’s Catalyst program, Esther conducted research at Cleveland State University focused on materials used in the bioprinting of hydrogel scaffolds to help address volumetric muscle loss. For her Capstone project, she designed and 3D printed teaching tools for Multivariable Calculus.

Esther also served as captain of Just Write, Gilmour’s creative writing team, qualifying for the state competition three times. Also a member of the speech and debate team, she was a state qualifier in Original Oratory. She co-led the French Club and helped organize Lunar New Year celebrations through the Pan-Asian Alliance. Outside of school, she volunteered as an ESL tutor for immigrants through the nonprofit US Together.

When asked what she will remember most about Gilmour, Esther pointed first to the people.

“Conversations with all of my teachers have inspired me to think beyond the classroom, and have given new insights on how to look at the world,” she said.

As she prepares for her next chapter, Esther said she hopes to carry forward Gilmour’s call to develop “the competence to see and the courage to act.”

“I want to use the resources I have at hand to love the beauty in the world and to change the ugliness,” she said.

For Holly, Gilmour became a place where academic ambition, leadership and service naturally intersected. A National Merit Scholar, Cum Laude Society member and Harvard Book Award recipient, she earned 14 departmental awards during her four years at Gilmour. She completed all of Gilmour’s French coursework by the end of freshman year, then independently studied Spanish before testing directly into Spanish 3.

Holly served as co-editor-in-chief of the yearbook, co-president of Baking 4 Rainbows and co-founder of Courageous Connections, a club dedicated to raising awareness about injustices within the criminal justice system. She also became the first female leader in the history of Gilmour’s Investment Club and participated in VECTOR’s Business and Entrepreneurship cohort.

Outside the classroom, Holly balanced varsity golf with 14 years of ballet training, performing soloist roles with the pre-professional company City Ballet of Cleveland. She also logged more than 170 service hours during her time at Gilmour.

Looking back, Holly said the relationships she formed and the growth she experienced through Kairos left a lasting mark on her.

“I will always remember the incredible people Gilmour brought into my life,” she said. “Going on Kairos, both as a retreatant and then as a leader, was one of the formative experiences of my life so far.”

She also credits Gilmour’s theology and mission integration programs with shaping the person she is becoming.

“Gilmour’s theology curriculum and mission integration programs have educated both my mind and heart,” Holly said, “and I hope to carry the things I have learned at Gilmour with me to college and beyond.”

Together, Esther and Holly leave behind a legacy of scholarship, leadership and genuine engagement in the life of the school. Their achievements reflect not only exceptional academic ability, but also the spirit of curiosity, compassion and purpose that defines a Gilmour education.