Maiah Islam ‘21
Photo courtesy of Avani Narula ‘21
EA is noted for its amazing teachers and faculty who work closely with students. Those who exceed the standard for EA teachers are sometimes rewarded.
There are five different awards available to faculty. The Brian Edward Breskman Memorial Fund for Faculty Support encourages young teachers to stay dedicated to education. The Class of 1940 Award honors teachers who have dedicated themselves to all areas of the Academy, whether it be in the classroom or on the field. The Hirtle Innovation Prize commends a faculty member for unique and innovative teaching. The D’Ambrosio Fund for Extraordinary Faculty at the Episcopal Academy recognizes teachers who have transformed students and encouraged them to be the best versions of themselves. Finally, the Alumni Society gives the Bishop William White Award to teachers who are dedicated to educating and seeing growth in students.
Faculty awards are decided by faculty committees, although the structures of those committees can vary. Jennifer Fifer, Director of Institutional Advancement, explains that the committee, “are made up of school administrators, such as division heads, head and assistant head of school, myself, and, depending on the award, there might be a committee of faculty recipients.” For the D’Ambrosio Fund and the Hirtle Innovation Prize, for instance, teachers who have received the awards previously are a part of the discussion for choosing recipients.
There are many additional steps in determining who gets awards, but they can vary depending on the award. Fifer elaborates, “For many of the awards, it relies on what the school administrators know about the faculty, their experience, and the work they do in the classroom. For the Hirtle prize, a faculty member has to submit a proposal in order to receive this prize, and there is a queue of proposals. Or, for the D’Ambrosio Fellows or Brian Breskman Fund, there are nominations that come in. The faculty executive committee also nominates some faculty for awards as well, such as the end of the year awards.”
Not only does the award committee and the steps in deciding who receives awards vary, but the amount of money awarded also varies. The minimum amount of money to endow any prize at EA is $15,000, which can be paid in a lump sum or multiple payments, but is subject to administrative approval. For some of the more substantial awards, such as the D’Ambrosio Fund, the amount endowed for the giving of prizes is six figures. Fifer notes, “We don’t usually add faculty prizes, so it would have to be a significant contribution.” The most important part of the faculty awards is not the money or the nominations, it is the teachers themselves. Fifer remarks, “I think what an award does is it speaks to the hard work and the effort that a faculty member puts into this amazing community.”
Alex Jimenez, a recipient of the Brian Breskman Memorial Fund, recalls how he felt upon receiving his award: “I was blindsided, absolutely shocked. It was a really warming experience, just to know that my colleagues, people I see every day, chose me for this award.”
Matt Memmo, a D’Ambrosio Fellow, felt a similar way when he received his recognition: “I felt honored, it’s really really nice to get that. It’s interesting to step back and think that there was a committee that met and people talked about me, thought highly of me to nominate me, and continued to champion me throughout the process.”
Fifer echoes Jimenez’s and Memmo’s sentiments, saying ,“Dr. Locke really believes that we should be celebrating the amazing faculty that we have. I do think having peers on a nomination committee is always a nice thing because it makes you [the teacher] think, ‘my colleagues think I’m doing a good job,’ which is important.”