Recognizing the Heart of House Life: 2026 Mario Award Winners Announced

At Lawrenceville, House life is sustained by the students who bring energy, pride, and generosity to their communities. Each year, the Mario Award recognizes two such leaders — one from the Circle and one from the Crescent — whose commitment helps their Houses thrive.

Congratulations to Lawrenceville’s 2026 Mario Award winners, Fourth Formers Ananya Chopra (Crescent/Carter House) and Christian Lopez-Watt (Circle/Cleve House), honored for their integrity, leadership, and dedication to House life. Recipients receive a merit award to assist with Fifth Form tuition or other expenses, along with a stipend for family travel and funding for a House celebration.

The award was established by Lawrenceville Trustee Emeritus Jeremy K. Mario ’88, with support from The Mario Family Foundation, to recognize the importance of House leadership and spirit within the Lawrenceville experience. The Mario Award celebrates students who strengthen House traditions and build camaraderie among their Housemates.

Ananya Chopra

Chopra has been a high honors student throughout her Lawrenceville career and is active in a number School clubs, sports, publications, and the performing arts. She is president of the Connections to Medicine, Chalk for Change, and Envirothon clubs, vice president of the Hindu Students Organization, and a member of the Economics Team. A member of the varsity fencing and junior varsity softball teams, she also writes for Lawrencium, Tech Trek, and Lawrenceville Science Reports. A member of the Kirby Arts Center Tech Team, she has served as a stage manager, front of house  representative, lighting operator, director, and actor.

Chopra said receiving the recognition was especially meaningful given Carter House’s role in shaping her Lawrenceville experience.

“I felt really honored and grateful. Carter means a lot to me because it was the first place where I truly felt at home when I arrived at Lawrenceville as a new sophomore. Being recognized by a community I care so much about — for helping build House spirit and bring people together — is incredibly meaningful.

What makes this award special, she noted, is that it recognizes “something hard to measure but deeply important: the impact someone can have on their community. It’s about creating an environment where people feel welcomed and supported, and where people take pride in being part of something larger than themselves.”

Head of Carter House Josefina Ayllón-Ayllón said Chopra “represents Carter “in a very positive way. . . . she is always willing to help other students around the House with their work and has chats with them when they need advice. She also devotes a lot of time to helping others outside of Carter and has had a big impact on all the students she tutors.” 

Christian Lopez-Watt 

A consistent Dean’s List and High Honors student, Lopez-Watt is deeply engaged in Cleve House life and across athletics, clubs, and community service. A tri-varsity athlete, he competes for Big Red in water polo, swimming and diving, and rowing. He is founder and president of Allies in Athletics Club and Lawrenceville’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance.

Committed to service, Lopez-Watt serves as Cleve House Community Service Representative, co-president of Community Service Outreach Club, and a board member of Dyes Save Lives Club, which fundraises for mental health support. He is a Ropes Course Instructor and president of Impulse Comedy Club.

Lopez-Watt said learning he’d won the Mario Award was a “surreal experience. I am extremely grateful for the recognition and continue to feel fulfilled that my contributions to the Lawrenceville community and my House are appreciated. . . . Knowing that this award recognizes individuals who support and advance the culture of excellence that the House system at Lawrenceville establishes makes it extremely special to me.”

The people affiliated with Cleve, from alumni, to current residents, to faculty, are what make the House so important to Lopez-Watt.

“The amazing role models I look up to in my prefects, and the mentors I find in the duty team and Heads of House, have transformed my Lawrenceville experience by encouraging me to pursue my passions and empowering me to make change in the greater Lawrenceville community,” he said.  “Buying into my House community and culture by embracing House traditions and customs connects me to my House and to the legacy Cleve holds within its wider alumni network. Shared experiences with my House have helped me build a strong support network with my peers as well.”

Cleve Head of House Eduardo Hernández explained that Lopez-Watt fit the bill for the Mario Award because “he consistently thinks of others and carries himself with a quiet humility about his accomplishments. Rather than seeking recognition, he is focused on how he can be of service. To me, what is integral to any strong community is a commitment to serving others, and Christian embodies that fully. . . . his care for others feels entirely genuine — he gives without expectation of recognition or return.”

Photo credit: Elle Kim '28/The Lawrence

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.