Lovie Valdivia-Tucker A’26 Announced as 2026 Oak Award Recipient

Presented annually at the Founders Day Convocation service during Reunion Weekend, the Oak Award honors a graduating Salem College senior whose contributions at Salem have been marked by exceptional leadership and academic achievement, and a graduating Salem Academy senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and left a lasting impact on the Academy. Oak Award recipients are nominated by faculty, staff, and their peers, and it is the highest award a Salem student can receive.

This year’s Salem Academy Oak Award recipient is Lovie Valdivia-Tucker, who has been a boarding student at the Academy since her freshman year. Lovie was nominated by her teachers and peers for the ways she exemplifies Salem Academy’s values. In addition to excelling academically, Lovie has contributed to the Salem community through her involvement in robotics, fencing, and theatre. She is well known on campus as a kind and welcoming person who seeks to uplift her classmates, and one faculty member described her as “a steady port in an often chaotic storm.” 

As Lovie prepares to graduate and begin the next chapter of her education journey, the Salem Academy community is proud to honor her with the 2026 Oak Award. Lovie’s care, authenticity, and inspiring leadership will be felt long after her graduation and will serve her well as she pursues a career in medicine.