Kielan Santos with TBLS Headmaster, Katrina Billy-Wilkinson | Contributed Photo
BROOKLYN, NY -The Sixteenth Annual Prize Night at The Brooklyn Latin School (TBLS) was a celebration of growth, tradition, and student achievement. For senior Kielan Santos, it marked a moment of recognition for years of academic dedication and leadership. Just one day before his graduation, he stood among faculty, family, and peers to receive three honors.
Kielan was awarded the Cornelia A. Kelley Intercultural Prize, an Approbation Award for academic excellence, and the Certificate of Cooperation in Government. Earlier this spring, Kielan also received the Prize Declamation award—one of the school’s most storied and intellectually demanding traditions.
A cornerstone of Brooklyn Latin’s classical heritage, Prize Declamation requires students to memorize and deliver a published speech or passage to the entire school community. The event is not a typical oratorical contest; it is a rite of passage, steeped in historical rigor and personal reflection. Modeled after traditions from the Boston Latin School, and dating back centuries, declamation was used to train young minds in rhetoric, moral reasoning, and public discourse.
At TBLS, students select a piece—often a political address, philosophical text, or literary excerpt—that resonates with them personally, and must not only recite it verbatim but embody its message with clarity, emotion, and conviction. The purpose is not performance for entertainment, but persuasion with integrity.
In this environment, Kielan stood out. His declamation was not simply well-rehearsed—it was felt. Faculty members noted the weight of his delivery, the confidence of his pacing, and the quiet power with which he made the audience lean in. His mastery of the text wasn’t just technical; it was ethical. He spoke as someone who understood the stakes of language in civic life. For Santos, who grew up surrounded by service—whether in church, community relief, or public office—Prize Declamation was an extension of his lived values. It was the art of standing up and speaking the truth with purpose.
The Cornelia A. Kelley Intercultural Prize, which he later received, reinforces that spirit. Named after a pioneering educator who helped shape the founding of TBLS in 2006, the award honors students who foster unity, mutual respect, and cultural awareness. Santos’s leadership, character, and commitment to a more connected school environment made him a clear choice.
Faith, hope, and service
A proud Filipino American born in New York City and the son of immigrant parents, Kielan spent his earliest years serving with his parents at the Filipino Apostolate at San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel, near Chinatown. His father was one of the first volunteers when the chapel was established in 2005 by the Archdiocese of New York, helping build a spiritual home for the city’s growing Filipino Catholic community. Santos grew up in this environment of faith and service, joining his parents in outreach efforts that supported the chapel’s mission.
He also became closely involved in the work of Handang Tumulong Foundation, Inc., a Filipino-American nonprofit dedicated to disaster relief and community support. His father was among its founding members, and from a young age, Kielan actively participated in fundraising drives, benefit events, and outreach supporting relief efforts for typhoon victims in the Philippines. These early experiences instilled in him the values of compassion, initiative, and service.
Civic engagement
He deepened his civic engagement by interning with New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga, the first Filipino American elected to the New York State Legislature. There, he supported public outreach and visual storytelling through photo and video documentation, helping amplify the stories and issues that matter to Filipino American communities.
Brooklyn Latin School, founded in 2006 and modeled after the Boston Latin School—the oldest public school in the United States—was created to bring a classical liberal arts education into the heart of New York City’s diverse public school system. Emphasizing Latin, Socratic seminars, and the International Baccalaureate program, the school preserves centuries-old traditions like Prize Declamation to develop ethical, articulate contributors to society.
In addition to academic and rhetorical achievements, Santos received an Approbation Award and the Certificate of Cooperation in Government for his leadership and civic involvement.
What the future holds
While many high schools award Latin honors such as summa cum laude, TBLS does not follow that system. As an International Baccalaureate World School rooted in classical education, it emphasizes depth of inquiry and mastery over ranking. Awards like Approbation reflect the school’s belief in cultivating individual growth and moral character without formal class stratification.
This fall, Santos will attend New York University, where he plans to study political science on a pre-law track. He hopes to become a lawyer with a focus on public service, justice, and representation.
As he prepares for college, Kielan Santos leaves Brooklyn Latin not only with awards, but with a voice strengthened by service, a lens shaped by heritage, and a message of integrity that echoes well beyond the classroom. He carries forward the mission of the school: to lead with purpose, to learn with depth, and to serve with heart.
–With Jay Domingo/PDM
