The The Eden Wales Freedman Award is given to the student who, in the study of English, makes charitable and positive contributions to his or her English classes, exhibits skill in both literary analysis and writing, as well as appreciates and understands literature as an art. This year, the award goes to both Gustavo Silveira ’17 and Hannah Kushner ’17!

The student(s) who win this award represent what it means to be an outstanding English student at Friends. These two stand out from the other English students for their high marks and passion for learning English as a skill and an art. Jake Rashkind, head of the English department, comments: “They’ve both demonstrated clear excellence in the classroom and have really put a lot of their energy into the poetry speaks group. These are students who excel in a variety of disciplines, but they don’t consider themselves just science math or history people. They are really dedicated learners who have demonstrated a real appreciation for the power of words”.

Silveira is known for his poetry recitation. He has performed on multiple occasions for the school, and students enjoy experiencing his passion for poetry. Mr. Rashkind said: “Gustavo was two times the school’s state representative in the poetry out loud competition, he and Hannah clerked the group Gustavo graciously stepped aside this year, paving the road for Cecilia Ergueta, who actually won the state competition”. Silveira having already proved his poetic prowess, decided to give someone else a chance. Because of his selflessness, another Friends student was able to succeed in Poetry Out Loud, too.

Kushner also contributed greatly to the Poetry Out Loud club and the wider community. Instead of competing, as she did last year, Hannah emceed the competition. As Mr. Rashkind said: “Hannah took a real leadership role and really went beyond her comfort zone in emceeing the poetry out loud comp. It’s really been impressive to see how much she has grown in the area of public speaking”. It is so great to see students like Hannah pushing themselves to grow and spread the love of words to the greater community.

Silveira and Kushner were given this honor because they not only excel in their learning of English, but share this knowledge with others. As Jake Rashkind put it: “It’s an award to honor a student who has a passion for literature and whose enthusiasm for literature makes them an asset to their classes and to the larger community”.

Furthermore, Mr. Rashkind elaborated on their contributions to the school: “Under their leadership, the poetry speaks group has created an anthology of poems and has been instrumental in initiating an upper school wide poetry recitation project for next year. Despite the fact that many students have contributed positively to their English classes, these two have gone above and beyond in spreading the word and their love of literature”.

Because of their excellence in and out of the classroom, the two students are the perfect candidates for this award. As Silveira and Kushner go off to the University of Delaware and Lehigh University, respectively, it can be expected that both will continue striving to learn more about the language and share their love for literature with others.