2024 Award Recipients
The SYA Awards Committee, led by Trustee Darcy McLean ES'01, is pleased to announce this year's award recipients.
President Tom Hassan remarked, "We are so proud to recognize and celebrate the work of each honoree and their commitment to making a difference in their professions, their communities and in the world. We invite you to attend our Founder's Day Town Hall to meet Carlos, Sarinda, Lauren and Vanessa."
SYA Awards Committee
Darcy McLean ES'01, Chair
Donald Austin FR'01-07RD, Head of Newark Academy
Annabelle Brown Fowlkes FR'90 FR'22P
Julian Fu CN'06
Brittany Toscano Gore IT'02
Nahin Jorgge IT'06
Peter Kirby FR'79
Holland Goss Lynch FR'86
Carlos Buhler ES'71 has been selected as this year's recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Carlos, a world-renowned high-altitude mountaineer, has not only reached extraordinary heights in his field but has also made significant contributions to the global community, embodying the core values of School Year Abroad (SYA). Carlos attended SYA as a junior from The Putney School in Vermont.
His journey as a mountaineer began during his time with SYA in Barcelona, where he first connected with the Spanish climbing community. This early experience laid the foundation for a career that has spanned fifty years, during which Carlos has led international expeditions on some of the most challenging peaks across five continents. His most notable achievement came in 1983 when he and his team made history by ascending the Kangshung Face of Mount Everest, a route so treacherous that it has never been successfully climbed again. (Read more.)
Sarinda Parsons Wilson FR’83 FR’13P, a dedicated French Instructor and SYA Coordinator at The Hotchkiss School, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Stephen M. Foster ES'65 Exemplary Service Award. This prestigious award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and exemplary service to SYA. She attended SYA as a senior from Bishop Stang High School in Massachusetts.
Sarinda’s connection to SYA runs deep, having first experienced the program as a student in Rennes, France. Her daughter, Maren, followed in her mother’s French footsteps through her own journey with SYA when she became a student in the 2012-2013 academic year. Sarinda’s passion for French language and culture has been a driving force throughout her career, inspiring countless students to embark on their own SYA journeys. "Sarinda Wilson lives and breathes the spirit of SYA," says Laurence Webber FR’16, who worked with Sarinda during his tenure as a member of SYA’s admissions team. "Her dedication and care go beyond kindness; she treats those around her like family." (Read more.)
Lauren Burke CN’01 has been selected as one of this year's recipients of the inaugural Emerging Leader Award. This prestigious honor recognizes Lauren’s visionary leadership, passion for education and dedication to fostering cultural awareness and global understanding — core values of SYA. Lauren attended SYA as a junior from Amherst Regional High School in Massachusetts.
Lauren describes herself as a “creator, igniter, and fighter” and has been dreaming up solutions to problems since she was five. When a childhood crush couldn’t attend Saturday playdates, she signed up for Mandarin classes so she could go with him.
When the elementary school where she later volunteered as a translator for newly immigrated students did away with Transitional Bilingual education, she went to law school to learn how to advocate for children’s rights.
When the Department of Health Services wrongfully targeted a client, she filed a federal injunction, winning the case before even being admitted to practice law. (Read more.)
Vanessa Ramirez ES’01 has been selected as one of this year's recipients of the inaugural Emerging Leader Award. Vanessa’s remarkable leadership and passion for disrupting the cradle-to-prison pipeline exemplify SYA's core values of academic excellence, cultural awareness and global understanding. She attended SYA as a junior from Episcopal High School in Texas.
Vanessa’s journey from bilingual classrooms in an underserved Houston community to leading transformative change in the juvenile justice system is nothing short of inspiring. As the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, Vanessa has revolutionized how justice-involved youth are supported. Her efforts have garnered national attention, with federal grants being issued to replicate her work across the country.
Her commitment to creating a brighter future for young people is evident in her work as the founder of 8 Million Stories, a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to providing justice-involved youth with educational and vocational opportunities. Her work with WorkTexas Training Center further extends her impact, helping youth in the juvenile justice system gain the skills and opportunities they need to succeed in the workforce. (Read more.)