On June 2, during a beautiful moving up ceremony, the eighth grade Outstanding Contributions to the Life of the Middle School award recipients were announced: Ellie Gartenberg ’30, Sabrina Levinsohn ’30, and Sydney Swami ’30. Each of these students has exemplified kindness, selflessness, and outstanding character throughout the year and their time in Middle School.

 

We also awarded the 2026 Ruth Fiesel ’38 Award to Sophia Smith ’30. Sophia exemplifies the very best of what it means to be a Baldwin student through her exceptional character, leadership, determination, and compassion. A talented athlete, dedicated scholar, innovative thinker, and compassionate leader, she approaches every opportunity with determination, curiosity, and grace. She possesses the rare combination of confidence and humility … setting ambitious goals for herself and working tirelessly to achieve them while remaining deeply supportive, encouraging, and respectful of those around her. Whether mastering a new language from scratch, taking on complex engineering projects, competing in multiple sports, or contributing to the life of the school through clubs and leadership opportunities, Sophia consistently demonstrates perseverance, initiative, and a genuine love of learning. Her teachers admire her willingness to embrace challenges, her positive spirit, and her ability to turn setbacks into opportunities for growth. Most importantly, her kindness, empathy, generosity, authenticity, and unwavering commitment to others have earned her the admiration of peers and faculty alike. She leaves Middle School having made a lasting impact on our community, and she is exceptionally deserving of this prestigious honor.