Class of 2025 honorees had the privilege of leading the procession into the newly renovated Klingentstein Concert Hall—with the full Emma faculty in their regalia—for the first formal event in the space. 

Head of School Jenny Rao opened with remarks on what makes this particular ceremony significant in the life of the school: “Today, we say out loud, clearly and distinctly, all the habits we hold dear; all the values we honor as a school community. Even as we applaud the accomplishments of the nominees for Laurels and recipients of the EW Award, we also celebrate the contributions of all of those in this community who make excellence possible on a daily basis.”

Following Ms. Rao’s remarks, soprano Kelsey D. ’25 shared an inspiring rendition of “Finding Wonderland” from the musical Wonderland.

 

The special guest speaker for Honors Convocation was Josephine “Jozy” Richard ’12, senior biomedical engineer at Baxter International, a leading medical equipment manufacturing firm headquartered in Deerfield, IL. She is originally from Tanzania and came to Emma Willard School for her junior and senior years. Jozy graduated cum laude from Lake Forest College with a degree in biology and neuroscience and earned a master’s in biomedical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Jozy’s talk, entitled “Lessons in Juggling,” reflected on the wisdom she has gained throughout her journey from the teenage girl who came to Emma with nothing but a dream, to the woman she is now. From her family in Tanzania, the Emma community, her higher education experiences, her work, and her volunteerism, Jozy has learned to be open to learning new things, persevere, be brave, not take yourself too seriously, and value the learning and your own contributions to the world, no matter whether they are large or small, perfect or imperfect.  

 

Among the lessons Jozy shared was a poignant analogy: “It is important to remember that the items you juggle are not made of the same stuff. Some are made of plastic, so if you drop them, they will bounce around, and you can always pick them back up with little to no damage. Other items are made of glass: if you drop these items, they shatter,” she explained. “My glass items were becoming a biomedical engineer and helping other women like me reach their dreams. So, no matter what else was going on, I did my best to ensure these items had my attention; I dedicated time and effort to them, and I made sacrifices to ensure they did not fall. A successful life—now and later—lies in figuring out your plastic and glass items, because they differ from person to person.  It lies in allowing yourself the grace to drop the plastic items when you need to, so your hands are free to handle the glass items better.”

Following Jozy’s words to the community, each award recipient was honored in turn. Associate Head of School Dr. Meredith Legg introduced the first ever nominees for Laurels, which replaced Cum Laude this year.* The Laurels Award celebrates excellence in academic achievement over time and in multiple disciplines. Laurels are awarded to seniors who are nominated by faculty for best exemplifying the habits of an intellectual life. These students pursue learning for its own sake, think boldly and innovatively, demonstrate enduring understanding, and prize the exploration of ideas above all else. Ms. Rao read personalized citations for each Laurels recipient. They are: 

Ella D. Harini D. Isabella H. Carly H. Adeline M.

Hodan O. Anna W. Allison W. Coco Y. Nini Y.

 

Dean of Students Shelley Maher then introduced the Emma Willard “E.W.” Award. This award is given to seniors who are nominated by the faculty, houseparents, their peers, and the administration. These students embody the school mission and have shaped the community for the better. They demonstrate character and moral strength, nurture a feeling of belonging and fun for all, lead others with intention and inspiration, and/or amplify voices and perspectives to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive community. The recipients for this year’s EW Award are:

Eleanora B. Maci C. Alyssa D. Lethukuthula K. Anna K.

Punch K. Anyla L. Stella M. Motunrayooluwa O. Bernice U.

 

 

Dr. Legg closed the program with the presentation of the Madelyn Levitt and Linda Glazer Toohey Award for Faculty Excellence. Determined by student and faculty nominations, this annual recognition honors full-time faculty members who consistently demonstrate a commitment to going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the care and wellbeing of our students in every forum. For his energy and tenacity, for being driven to contribute to the community wherever he can, and for “engineering greatness in our classrooms,” this year’s Levitt-Toohey award was presented to Mathematics Instructor Laszlo Bardos.

 

We congratulate all this year’s awardees for their hard work and commitment to the Emma community!

If you would like to view the live stream archive of the event, it may be viewed here. Photos are available on SmugMug.

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* An Awards Committee was assembled in 2022 to review and make recommendations about student awards to ensure they align with the values of our mission and program. The committee recommended that we create our own unique award for academic excellence, known as Laurels, to replace the Cum Laude award, which was associated with and governed by membership in the Cum Laude Society. Laurels celebrates academic excellence and ensures the school may define excellence in alignment with the school's unique program.