Evelyne Estey, Head of School, was awarded the insignia of Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur by M. Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France in the United States, at the Lycée Français de New York on Monday, March 15 in honor of her leadership of the Lycée throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ambassador Etienne, himself a former head of the AEFE, congratulated Evelyne Estey and the entire school for working quickly to bring students back into the building in hybrid mode this fall. He found resonance in the school’s educational mission in his own career and throughout Evelyne’s life.
“Throughout your career, you have advocated for bilingual education,” he said. “Each language we learn not only opens us up to another culture, but brings us a new understanding of a more tolerant world.”
Said Stephan Haimo, Chair of the Board of Trustees, “Evelyne epitomizes what it means to live up to the Lycée motto of “Culture and Courage”. The words that come to mind for Evelyne are “doigté” “finesse” “grace” but also “persuasive”, “detailed”, “concrete”…However, the word that Evelyne most values isn’t any of those. Not in the least bit. The word to which she has given the most meaning is “Care. Bienveillance – Care for the students. Care for the faculty. Care for her team. Care for our community.”
“I am deeply honored and humbled,” she said in the presence of her family. “The Lycée entered our lives over 25 years ago, and it has not left us since. Now I find myself leading this most extraordinary institution–by its very existence and its mission–to bring together a mosaic of identities with one simple goal: educate the citizens of tomorrow.”
“This award goes to recognize the entire Lycée team, who are working tirelessly to keep our students learning, fully, through unprecedented times,” she added.
Enjoy the complete ceremony below.
About the Author :
Elisabeth King joined the Lycée team in November 2011 as the school’s first director of communications. A francophile at heart, Elisabeth spent her junior year of college in Paris, and held her first job at the French Trade Office here in New York. She brings to the Lycée over 15 years of experience in media and communications in non-profits, government, news and business. She was previously executive vice president and director of strategy at ABI, Inc., a boutique public relations agency, and she worked as associate editor on two books co-authored by Todd Brewster and the late ABC News anchor Peter Jennings.