SUPPORTING THE NEXUS
BARBARA ELLIS '64
Barbara Izenstein Ellis ’64, who teaches Greek and Latin at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, receives consistently high marks from her students. Under her name on RateMyTeacher.com, the first critique simply states, “TE AMO, MS. ELLIS!!!” Similar entries follow, such as “Best teacher ever!” and “Ms. Ellis est bona magistra!!!!”
What makes her a wonderful teacher? Experience and passion for her subject, of course. According to Ellis, her Barnard education also plays a large part, “I must say that, to this day, I base of lot of my teaching style on one of my favorite Barnard professors.” The professor was Lydia Lenaghan, and the subject was classics — which Ellis chose as her major.
Today, as Ellis imparts her knowledge and love of classics to Fieldston’s grateful students, she also dedicates herself to her alma mater. In addition to being a Nexus donor, she serves on the President’s Advisory Council and supports scholarship recipients.
“I loved Barnard. I loved coming to New York. My classes were stimulating, and I loved having classmates from all parts of the country, different countries, and different economic classes. In my small way, as the years go by, I want to help give a wonderful education to other women, and to make the Barnard experience as good as it can be for both students and faculty.”
As an undergraduate, Ellis felt fortunate to live on campus and experience “a sense of community that many students did not have at the time.” Today, she is giving financial support for the Nexus “to provide great venues for theatre and dance, to give much needed and thoughtfully designed space to several departments, and to foster a greater sense of community among all the students at Barnard.
— by Anne Schutzberger