Lawrenceville Celebrates Faculty Value: Courage

Lawrenceville faculty members have honored colleagues who embody the values that define the School community — commitment, courage, enthusiasm, friendship, honesty, initiative, kindness, leadership, loyalty, perseverance, responsibility, and thoughtfulness. These values guide daily work in the classroom, Houses, and programs across campus, shaping a culture built on shared purpose. 

This year, history teacher Vielka Hoy was recognized with the Courage Award, given to a faculty member who demonstrates the ability to confront challenges directly and inspire others to do the same. “Courage is the willingness to overcome fear and break through the inertia of worry in order to accomplish great things,” the award’s description reads.

For Vielka Hoy, courage means resilience rooted in empathy. “Sometimes it’s about soliciting feedback, or sticking up for kids who may be overlooked,” she explained.

Her approach in her Noyes History Center classroom reflects that philosophy. She frequently challenges students to wrestle with complex histories and encourages them to engage openly. “As historians, we acknowledge our biases and ask what it means to study history in ways that liberate, not erase. Recognizing where we stand helps us become more honest and intentional learners.”

That boldness, she shared, was modeled early on by her father, Cecilio, who instilled in her a love of teaching and a deep respect for Black history and the African Diaspora. “He would check my homework at the dinner table and push me to read texts like ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ or James Weldon Johnson’s ‘Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man,’ Hoy recalled. “He gave me the confidence to be bold, especially around topics that often get marginalized, and taught me to normalize these voices as part of my teaching.”

Her own path to teaching has been shaped by courage as well. Originally torn between math and history, Hoy earned her undergraduate degree from New York University in Social Science Education. She chose history with the conviction that broadening perspectives for future leaders would have lasting impact.

“The students here are going to be the ones creating technology, shaping policy, and holding positions of influence,” she said. “I want them to have courageous moments where they stop and think, ‘What about this perspective I learned? How does it change the way I act?’”

She completed master’s degrees at the University of California-Los Angeles (Afro-American Studies) and the University of Chicago (Social Sciences with a certificate in Education and Society). She’s working to finish her doctorate from the University of Southern California in Education.

Now in her third year at Lawrenceville, Hoy advises several student clubs, mentors Second Formers in Thomas House, and coaches indoor and outdoor track and field events – responsibilities she sees as natural extensions of her classroom teaching. In each role, she reminds her students, “Taking risks always has benefits. If you stay only where you’re comfortable, you won’t grow. Vulnerability, resilience, and courage open doors to transformation, for students and teachers alike.”

For Hoy, being recognized by her colleagues for courage was both humbling and affirming. “I was stunned,” she admitted. “I work hard, but you don’t always know if others see it. To realize that they do, and that students are sharing that experience, meant so much.”

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.