On behalf of the college counseling department and administration at Carrollwood Day School, we are pleased to announce the class of 2023 valedictorian and salutatorian. 

Valedictorian- Carter Casey

We are thrilled to introduce Carter Casey as the class of 2023 valedictorian. Carter has displayed remarkably consistent and exemplary academic achievement throughout his high school career, inclusive of his induction into the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (for which he is the vice president), the Spanish National Honor Society, National Speech & Debate Honor Society, and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. In addition, Carter is a superior test taker and was recently recognized as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist for placing inside the top 15,000 PSAT test takers in the United States for his grade level, while also earning a perfect SAT math score during his junior year. 

Beyond the classroom, Carter is actively involved in our speech and debate chapter, serving as team captain and president. From what began as his IB Personal Project, he created and has subsequently published a 10,000-word guide on the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, written to inspire others to explore speech and debate in high school and beyond. He is an Eagle Scout recipient and was selected for the Messengers of Peace award to recognize exceptional scouts for their outstanding work in creating a better world. A true leader within our community, Carter serves as the vice president of student council, head service coordinator of key club, and the vice president of our ever-popular grill club. 

Carter will attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina in the Fall. 

Salutatorian- Hailee Spoor

It is our pleasure to announce that Hailee Spoor has been chosen as the class of 2023 salutatorian. Hailee has been a stellar student at Carrollwood Day School since sixth grade, earning selection into the prestigious Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, and National Speech and Debate Honor Society. As a junior, Hailee spearheaded the initiative to bring the National Art Honor Society to CDS as its founder and two-year president. She received the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and is currently working towards completing the requirements for the silver award. 

Extracurricularly, Hailee is the founder and president of the art appreciation club and is responsible for establishing a student-produced magazine to share the creativity of our students with the community. She is the current president of our National Beta club chapter, served as president of La Conexion which honors Spanish culture and heritage, and has experience as a speech captain for our National Speech and Debate organization. Hailee has comprehensive volunteer experience with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay in an intensive eight-month program to provide educational courses on the importance of animal adoption. Finally, she is a two-year attendee of the Ryan Nece Youth Leadership Conference where she has learned from professionals on the impact of serving the needs of others while taking direct action to address our community’s most pressing needs. 

Hailee will attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida in the Fall.

We offer our sincerest congratulations to Carter and Hailee and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at our commencement ceremony in May. 

Thank you to the CDS College Counseling department for working with the Class of 2023 to ensure a successful graduation and matriculation season.