Upland’s Cobbler’s Knoll Named Yearbook of the Year Finalist

Upland Country Day School’s 2026 Cobbler’s Knoll has been named a Pictavo Yearbook of the Year Finalist, earning national recognition for a book created and led by Upland students.

The yearbook was first selected for Pictavo’s International Honor Roll as one of just 200 yearbooks before advancing as one of only 46 Yearbook of the Year finalists from the thousands of books Pictavo prints each year.

For Upland’s 2025–26 Yearbook Staff, the finished book was the result of a vision that began nearly a year earlier.

Each year, the Cobbler’s Knoll staff secretly selects a member of the Upland community to whom the yearbook will be dedicated. The identity of that person remains a closely held secret as students build the theme, design and details of the book around the honoree.

The Class of 2026 selected longtime Head of School Dr. Dan Hickey, who concluded his nine-year tenure at Upland at the end of the school year.

Editor-in-Chief Amelia Carrol ’26 set the creative vision from the beginning: the book should feel classical and elegant, reflecting the person it would ultimately honor. That direction carried through the design, photography and storytelling, with details coming together throughout the year to create a book that felt distinctly Upland and distinctly Dr. Hickey.

Amelia led a talented group of ninth-grade editors that included Patrick C. ’26, Senior Editor; Stella D. ’26, Sports Editor; and Elle R. ’26, Graphic Design, alongside eighth-grade staff members Brooke T., Brady B., Liam D., Roman D., Luca G. and Simon F.

Together, the students documented a year at Upland while creating something designed to last well beyond it.

The national recognition is an incredible accomplishment for the entire 2025–26 Cobbler’s Knoll Staff and a fitting final chapter for a yearbook created to celebrate an important chapter in Upland’s history.

Congratulations, Cobbler’s Knoll Staff, and congratulations, Upland!