Victoria Gu ’27 Named Recipient of 2025 RAD Prize

At Upper School Morning Meeting, junior Victoria Gu ’27 was named the winner of the 2025 Russell A. Divak (RAD) Friendship Prize.

The RAD Friendship Prize is awarded annually in honor of RPS alumnus Russell A. Divak ’85. Russell was part of a group of friends at RPS that began playing poker together around 9th grade. In his friend group, Russell was the storyteller and the source of new and unusual information. 

The award was created by Russell’s family and friends to celebrate Russell’s life and, most importantly, the kind of person Russell was. It is given each year to a current student (a freshman, sophomore or junior) who personifies the characteristics of friendship that defined Russell—a genuine concern for others’ well-being, the willingness to go the extra mile for someone else, an engaging personality that attracts others, and a curious mind that wants to share knowledge with their peers.

Victoria read her prize-winning essay at Morning Meeting before an audience that included several of Russell’s classmates. She spoke about the friendships she has built since arriving at Rutgers Prep in seventh grade and how the community has shaped her understanding of what it means to support one another. She highlighted moments with friends that have meant the most to her—from long conversations to cheering each other on at performances—and the small, steady efforts that make friendships strong.

“Friendship is the biggest inconvenience in my life,” she said with a smile, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Congratulations to Victoria on this well-deserved honor.

Watch Victoria's Speech:

See Photos from the Event: