12th grade dean and English teacher Lousia Levine joined Campbell Hall in 1991, where she began teaching English. Several years later in 1994, she became the 12th grade dean where she guided the class of 1995 through their senior year. In 1999, Levine was asked to help Campbell Hall redefine its academic honor, where she and others on the honor committee created the Campbell Hall honor statement and began creating the Academic Honor Board (AHB), which she now is the faculty advisor for.
Always interested in the subject of English, Levine especially loved and admired poetry. She has always had the goal of adding a Poeisomat to the Campbell Hall campus, a poem jukebox that has a list of poems and songs it will play after a crank of the machine. After leaving Campbell Hall, Levine hopes to raise money to install a Poeisomat for students and the wider Campbell Hall community, leaving a psychical mark on the community.
“[I will] definitely miss the people [at Campbell Hall the most], my colleagues and of course the students,” said Levine. “Being a teacher is strange because I get to know the senior class in one year. When I was the 12th-grade dean in 1995, I knew every single person in that little group. I miss that part about Campbell Hall, but I feel we’ve gained a lot from getting bigger.”
Now, Levine is completing her final year at Campbell Hall before retirement. Since coming to Campbell Hall, Levine has watched Campbell Hall grow in size. She watched new buildings be built and the campus transform. The first class she was dean of had only 60 students.
As Levine prepares to leave Campbell Hall, she has also been preparing to say goodbye to the AHB, a committee she has both created and been a part of for 23 years. The creation of the AHB taught her much about perspective and the importance of having student voices in leadership roles. Levine recognizes that the AHB is one of her most rewarding experiences she has had while at Campbell Hall.
“We founded [the board] and then we started hearing our first cases in 2004,” Levine said. “It was just always so wonderful. I’ve just been really proud of what it does, and the thing that I’m the most proud of is that it’s student-run.”
Reflecting on her time as 12th grade dean, Levine has noticed how her role has influenced her beyond the classroom, particularly how she approached parenting and understanding others.
“I think [becoming 12th grade dean has taught me] to be a better mother,” Levine said. “I think I probably had unreasonably high expectations for my children. I thought that they were both going to be the valedictorian and captains of all the sports teams and everything. I realized that they are their own person. I’ve learned that I can’t change people nor can I change the circumstances of their lives, but what I can do is listen and often that is like most of what people need.”