On Tuesday, May 13, Instructor in French Ms. Wendy Levithan P’23 received the Lufkin Prize during a ceremony in Elfers Hall. The Lufkin Prize is awarded annually to a faculty member who makes significant contributions to character development in the community and serves as a role model to students. It was established in 2006 by Mr. Dan Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23. It is the school’s highest honor for long-time faculty members.
Past recipients of the Lufkin Prize include Instructor in English Mr. Chris Burchfield P’08,’10,’18, Instructor in Spanish Ms. Ana Hermoso P’16, Instructor in Art Mr. Brad Faus P’16, and Instructor in Math Ms. Letty Roberts P’12, ’15. When introducing the 2025 recipient of the Lufkin Prize, Head of School Mr. Craig Bradley said, “Among the many great pleasures and privileges that I enjoy as head of school is the opportunity each year to honor an outstanding member of the faculty through the awarding of the Lufkin Prize. This level of care and commitment is remarkable.”
Ms. Levithan has taught at the school since 1998. During that time, she served as head of the Classical & Modern Languages Department, dorm head in Wieler, and on committees dedicated to improving the experiences of students and faculty, particularly girls and women. She said, “My background is obviously in foreign languages, cultures, and literature. I’ve taught every level of French, from 150 to 690, and I love them all in different ways. When you’ve been at a school for so long, you get involved in diverse ways, depending
on supervisory needs and the priorities of different administrations. I worked extensively with something called a Class Themes initiative back in the early 2000s and on the Independent School Gender Project. I lived in Wieler for 14 years. I started on the third floor and worked my way down. I have also coached instructional and Girls Junior Varsity Squash and Girls Junior Varsity tennis.”
Rachel Biccard ’25, a co-captain of Girls JV tennis, said, “Ms. Levithan always has a smile on her face. As a Prep, Ms. Levithan was my JV tennis coach. Every day at practice, she would go out of her way to make sure I was having an amazing day and was always willing to listen if I wasn’t in my best mood. Even when the season ended, she always greeted me with joy and never failed to brighten my day. Although she wasn’t my coach for my Lower Mid and Upper Mid years, to have had her back as a coach this season has meant a lot to me.”
Biccard’s fellow captain, Kate Dana ’26 said, “Ms. Levithan tells a fun story every day and is ready to listen to our stories as well. A few weeks ago, when we played Greenwich Academy, I was losing my match 2-4. Even though I was clearly stressed and not playing my best, Ms. Levithan clapped and cheered for me throughout the whole game, which really helped me regain confidence and ultimately win! More importantly, she brought us to Fudgies [for ice cream].”
Ms. Levithan has also been an advisor to many students for over two decades. Mrs. Maggie Crain, Prep class dean, said, “I have had many interactions with Ms. Levithan and her advisees on private matters like family issues, mental struggles, academics, discipline, and more. Every time, I was amazed by the thought and care she put into each situation. She knows her kids and acts in silent support whenever anyone needs her. She holds herself to a high standard and holds others to this same level.”
In her speech, Ms. Levithan spoke about being a “big-little” person, explaining that every individual has the courage to recognize and acknowledge one’s own littleness and to move beyond it. To conclude the speech, she said, “This prize is about all of us. Yes, I’m the one who’s speaking in this moment, but to me, there are two clear implications: one, as an active ‘big-little’ person, I am worthy of this prize; and two, I could be any one of my colleagues who engage in ‘big-little’ ways with this community. Thank you for all of my and your shared ‘big-little’ moments, past, present, and future. Making this place and this community my work and home has been an adventure that I could not be more fortunate to have embraced. Et enfin, ce discours est terminé. Merci (and finally, this speech is over, thank you).”
After the event, Ms. Levithan said, “The ceremony was lovely, as it has been each year this prize has been presented. It is such a humbling honor to be named the recipient of the Lufkin Award. I wanted my speech to be authentically me, and that meant sharing somewhat vulnerably about how touched and amazed I was, but also about how we are all major contributors in little ways. I hope that message came through.”
