2014 Sara Frazer Ellis Awardee
In honor of her commitment to education, philanthropy, community service, and leadership, The Ellis School is proud to name Susan SCHEINMAN Leonard ’64 as the recipient of the 2014 Sara Frazer Ellis Award.
Ms. Leonard’s commitment to education began with her experiences at The Ellis School. With the expectations inculcated in her by Ellis, she had the confidence to tackle even the most difficult assignments. She graduated from Ellis in 1964 and then from Oberlin College. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Duke University with a concentration in French.
She began teaching in Durham, North Carolina during the initial days of school integration. In 1970-71, she was voted Teacher of the Year at Durham’s Whitted Junior High, where was an instrumental advocate for Blue Cross/Blue Shield benefits for teachers for the first time.
Since 1973 she has taught in independent schools in New York City, spending the last 26 years at The Birch Wathen Lenox School in a variety of capacities from College Counselor to Director of the Upper School, Director of the Middle School and, always, teacher. She now serves as Academic Dean.
Her love of the French language began with the first programs on WQED and was nurtured through Ellis (Merci, Mlle Unkovic!). Her French language major at Oberlin and concentration at Duke served as a preamble to many years of teaching French and leading student trips. Her contact with Ms. Marlene Triaire Guieu, the AFS international high school exchange student her senior year, was a basis for a lifelong friendship that included many trips to Paris, including the weddings of Marlene’s daughter and son, and, now, visits to Marlene’s grandchildren.
Ms. Leonard was honored to serve as a delegate to the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling, where she worked on the national level. Her college counseling duties also provided her the opportunity to interact with Ellis college counselor, art history, and drama teacher Lu B. Wenneker. “The Class of 1964 dedicated the yearbook to Lu Wenneker. We saw each other at annual meetings and it was a thrill to be her colleague,” said Ms. Leonard.
As Academic Dean, Ms. Leonard describes her role as “needing two catcher’s mitts” to field the wide variety of challenges tossed her way. Most important to her is leading the Community Service program at The Birch Wathen Lenox School. “No chance of boredom or retiring here,” said Ms. Leonard.
When asked about career highlights, Ms. Leonard recalled two especially important moments. The first was receiving a Mother’s Day message from Headmaster Frank Carnabuci, who commended her on behalf of all the students she has nurtured and supported over the years. The second is an honor she’s enjoyed for many years: launching seniors down the aisle for graduation.
The future will bring more travel and exploration. Intrepid as ever, and forever an Ellis Girl, she earned a pilot’s license in 1979 and has been a certified SCUBA diver and underwater photographer for many years. As New York Chair of the Society of Woman Geographers, she has access to the latest research and information about places around the globe. Last spring, armed with articles about the Moken tribe of nomadic sea people, she visited the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar. She was also able to visit the International School of Yangon where she taught several Middle School science classes about the plight of the oceans. Next on her horizon: Cuba.
Please join us in congratulating and celebrating Susan SCHEINMAN Leonard ’64.
ABOUT THE SARA FRAZER ELLIS AWARD
The Sara Frazer Ellis Award is given annually to an alumna whose achievements represent the Ellis experience. Award recipients are women who continue to support the Ellis mission of leadership in local and global communities. Recipients have made significant contributions to their fields, to volunteer organizations or to society in general.
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She began teaching in Durham, North Carolina during the initial days of school integration. In 1970-71, she was voted Teacher of the Year at Durham’s Whitted Junior High, where was an instrumental advocate for Blue Cross/Blue Shield benefits for teachers for the first time.
Since 1973 she has taught in independent schools in New York City, spending the last 26 years at The Birch Wathen Lenox School in a variety of capacities from College Counselor to Director of the Upper School, Director of the Middle School and, always, teacher. She now serves as Academic Dean.
Her love of the French language began with the first programs on WQED and was nurtured through Ellis (Merci, Mlle Unkovic!). Her French language major at Oberlin and concentration at Duke served as a preamble to many years of teaching French and leading student trips. Her contact with Ms. Marlene Triaire Guieu, the AFS international high school exchange student her senior year, was a basis for a lifelong friendship that included many trips to Paris, including the weddings of Marlene’s daughter and son, and, now, visits to Marlene’s grandchildren.
Ms. Leonard was honored to serve as a delegate to the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling, where she worked on the national level. Her college counseling duties also provided her the opportunity to interact with Ellis college counselor, art history, and drama teacher Lu B. Wenneker. “The Class of 1964 dedicated the yearbook to Lu Wenneker. We saw each other at annual meetings and it was a thrill to be her colleague,” said Ms. Leonard.
As Academic Dean, Ms. Leonard describes her role as “needing two catcher’s mitts” to field the wide variety of challenges tossed her way. Most important to her is leading the Community Service program at The Birch Wathen Lenox School. “No chance of boredom or retiring here,” said Ms. Leonard.
When asked about career highlights, Ms. Leonard recalled two especially important moments. The first was receiving a Mother’s Day message from Headmaster Frank Carnabuci, who commended her on behalf of all the students she has nurtured and supported over the years. The second is an honor she’s enjoyed for many years: launching seniors down the aisle for graduation.
The future will bring more travel and exploration. Intrepid as ever, and forever an Ellis Girl, she earned a pilot’s license in 1979 and has been a certified SCUBA diver and underwater photographer for many years. As New York Chair of the Society of Woman Geographers, she has access to the latest research and information about places around the globe. Last spring, armed with articles about the Moken tribe of nomadic sea people, she visited the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar. She was also able to visit the International School of Yangon where she taught several Middle School science classes about the plight of the oceans. Next on her horizon: Cuba.
Please join us in congratulating and celebrating Susan SCHEINMAN Leonard ’64.
ABOUT THE SARA FRAZER ELLIS AWARD
The Sara Frazer Ellis Award is given annually to an alumna whose achievements represent the Ellis experience. Award recipients are women who continue to support the Ellis mission of leadership in local and global communities. Recipients have made significant contributions to their fields, to volunteer organizations or to society in general.
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