Legacy Legacy

For more than three decades, Lisa Ameisen ’76 has been a beloved teacher of history, sociology, anthropology and psychology at The Baldwin School. Her connection to the school runs deep, as she attended Baldwin before returning to teach, sent her daughters Olivia Stanton-Ameisen ’09 and Savanna Stanton-Ameisen ’13 to the School and has contributed to Baldwin in nearly every facet of school life. Throughout her time at Baldwin, she has taught mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and cousins. Her singular ability to connect with students has fostered a sort of sisterhood within the sisterhood of Baldwin. Generations of women and girls who each count their experience with Ms. Ameisen as one of the most influential aspects of their Baldwin education.

“Ms. Ameisen has always been supportive and happy for everyone's accomplishments,” said Nateerah Ransome ’23, cousin to Asidah McGough ’30. “I hope she will instill the values of hard work and love in my cousin and share all her amazing memories of being a student, parent and teacher at Baldwin.”

Prior to her return to Baldwin as a faculty member, Ms. Ameisen earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in Anthropology, from Bryn Mawr College. Her undergraduate thesis titled, "Exclusivity in an Ethnic Elite: Racial Prejudice as Boundary Maintenance" was published in her book, Encounters with American Ethnic Culture. And in what could be considered either foreshadowing or focused goal setting, her published master’s thesis was titled “Contemporary Concepts and Theories of Anthropology in the American Primary and Secondary Classroom: An Examination of Social Studies and World Cultures Curricula.”

She went on to apply her passion for world cultures and her expertise in curriculum development to her work at Baldwin, creating a variety of courses over the years including the Grade 6 Anthropology course, the legendary senior elective ICS – Individual, Culture and Society and the current senior elective in psychology. She’s held such roles as

“ Ms. Ameisen was a wonderful teacher who inspired my love of anthropology and history. She really taught me about the importance of different perspectives. I hope she also teaches my sister how to examine different cultures from an open perspective and be excited and passionate about learning.”

~ Riya Rao ’25

History Department Chair, Director of Upper School Advising, Middle School Dean of Students and faculty representative to the Board of Trustees, among others, all while teaching a full slate of classes.

“When I was Ms. Ameisen’s student, she was juggling a full-time teaching schedule while raising three very young children,” recalled Kirsten Dickerson ’90, mother to Charlotte Cochran ’30. “Even at the time, I remember being impressed by her ability to seemingly do it all and she never seemed overwhelmed. She was a wonderful representation of someone who successfully managed to balance a career and motherhood.”

Throughout her tenure, Ms. Ameisen has taught countless students, many of whom have gone on to achieve great success in their own right. Her passion for history and anthropology is infectious, and her ability to connect with students on a personal level has made her a favorite among generations of Baldwin girls. “Ms. Ameisen not only creates connections with families but with the individuals within that family,” said Lauren Halak ’24. “I never feel like I'm just being treated as ‘one of the Halaks.’ I'm not sure how she does it, but the relationships she creates with generations of Baldwin girls have such a perfectly crafted balance between treating each student as an individual and as a member of a Baldwin legacy family at the same time.”

That perfect balance is as valuable to Ms. Ameisen as it is to the generations of students who have benefitted from her lessons. “Can you imagine what it feels like when I see a child’s face light up as they catch on to a new concept, or succeed at something they’ve been struggling with, and then I remember seeing that exact expression on their mother’s face when she was their age?”

When she attended Baldwin as a student, Ms. Ameisen had a faculty member she looked up to, much the way her students look up to her. She recalled one of her many experiences working on theater productions with Lois Goutman, as much a Baldwin institution then as Ms. Ameisen is now. During a school production on a rainy night, the roof over the light board was leaking. Ms. Ameisen recalls Lois Goutman asking, “Do you have sneakers?” and handing her an umbrella. “I spent the entire evening running the electric light board under a giant umbrella,” Ms. Ameisen recalls. “Mrs. Goutman never let us forget that the show must go on.”

Ms. Ameisen has passed on that same grit and wisdom to her students. As Vandana Gupta ’91, mother of Anjali Chahal ’30 and Annika Chahal ’30 shared, “She always told us to fight on and keep going and to never give up; if one door closes go knock down another one.” Daughter Anjali has come to understand her mother’s admiration firsthand. “My mom has always told me ‘Ms. Ameisen got me through Baldwin’ and now I understand why,” she said. “Ms. Ameisen is everything my mom said and more!”

Ms. Ameisen's contributions to education and culture extend beyond the walls of Baldwin. Her dedication to the School and its mission has been unwavering, but she has lent her talents and anthropological expertise to the wider community as well, including being a founding member of the Philadelphia area Multi-Cultural Resource Center (MCRC). Through her work with the MCRC she has run workshops for the Middle School Heads conference and presented on issues of class in independent schools. She also presented papers four different times at the National Association of Independent Schools national conference and gave different speeches, workshops and professional development presentations more than 100 times at schools, churches and other organizations throughout the midAtlantic region.

As her relationships with students have always touched their hearts, her expertise in her field continues to enrich their minds. As Meredith Mariani ’94, mother to Susie Durst ’30 put it, “Having my daughter gain the opportunity to learn from a teacher who cultivated my educational journey at Baldwin deepens our shared connections while fostering a sense of deep love and appreciation for such a special place. I hope that Susie will learn from Ms. Ameisen to appreciate the lessons other cultures can teach us.”

It would be easy to imagine that someone with so many projects in the works could seem rushed or distracted, but Ms. Ameisen’s compassion and attention to each student is what sets her apart for so many of the girls and women who have taken her classes. “Ms. Ameisen has taught me a lot in the classroom, but there are many things to be learned simply from observing her,” said Joelle Pearlstein ’24. “She displays extreme patience and kindness, always. She observes every student in her class and can always tell if a student is having an off day. When she asks how you are doing, she cares about the answer.”

Sarah Raab ’04, aunt to Elizabeth Raab ’30, echoes the sentiment. “Throughout the years I had her as a teacher, Ms. Ameisen taught me confidence, persistence and the importance of hard work in achieving a goal. She showed me what a joy it can be to deeply delve into a topic and learn it inside and out, something I carry with me still. I'm so glad my niece has the opportunity to have her as a teacher as well.”

“By teaching so many Baldwin generations, Ms. Ameisen has created incredible connections through the years,” said Ali Cappola ’24. “It is wonderful to see how many Baldwin students, including my sisters, remember her teaching skills, relatability and sense of humor. It is inspiring to watch a Baldwin alumna teach in the classroom.”

Ms. Ameisen has touched the lives of many students and colleagues, and her passion for teaching and learning will continue to inspire generations to come.

“I’d like for my legacy at Baldwin to be that every student I encountered, whether as a teacher, advisor or coach, thinks that they were better off for having worked with me,” she shared. “I’d like to imagine that I contributed in some positive and enduring way to their lives. I can honestly say that has been their impact on me.”