Keely Lake Advocacy Award

Will Power Wylie and Carl Cofield

We congratulate the 2025 recipients, Professor Will Power of Occidental College and Professor Carl Cofield of New York University and the Classical Theater of Harlem. They collaborated together in a way that makes it difficult to separate their contributions to the realization of creating a dramatic experience that elevates the story of the Ethiopian King Memnon and his role in the Trojan War saga and in the culture of his time. 

Both Will Power and Carl Cofield took it upon themselves to bring a long-forgotten story back to life and to give an African figure a rightful place in modern considerations, teaching, and treatment of the Trojan War and of the complexities of ancient Afro-Mediterranean culture and history. This story was very popular in ancient Greek and Roman literature and art. More recently such stories have been less prominent in curricula or missing altogether from discussions. The nominees saw the reasons for this phenomenon to be complex, but the solution to it was clear: bring this great story back to life and into the classroom with a powerful new play!  

Will Power and Carl Cofield dedicated themselves to a project that we feel is destined to have lasting impact on expanding the study of literature and providing teachers with opportunities to redesign classroom curricula to allow broader perspectives. Their work and contributions have aligned tightly with our ACL goals of making classical studies more inclusive in content as well as more relevant to our ever-broadening student and teacher communities. Their work will help more students see themselves reflected in the content of their classes. This is an important goal of the ACL.

The dialogues in the play and the masterful portrayal of the characters by director and actors, also bring to the forefront discussions about several themes that are “timeless,” as relevant today as in ancient times. These include what it means to be “family,” “citizen,” “political ally,” as well as the presence of cultural and political “othering” and “scapegoating.”  Such sensitive and meaningful discussions can bring students and teachers opportunities for personal growth and community understanding on several different levels. These will be important and much needed additions to classical studies curricula.

Both Power and Cofield made the important observation that this portrayal of Memnon also brings forward the interconnectedness of the ancient nations, cultures, and families. Memnon and his allies were not on the fringe of ancient Afro-Mediterranean life, as often described. They were an integral part of the dynamics and were making significant contributions. There was fluidity existing in relations between nations, not just ruling empires with subject nations. The speeches of Polydamas, Memnon and Priam make this clear.

In conclusion, this story, this play, and the resources they generously offered in response to it, will be impactful to the profession for years to come! It played at California's Getty Villa Museum in 2024 and will run again in NYC in 2025.

Monica Frederick

Dr. Edward Vest and Lucia Johnson-Vest

Edward and Lucia have been life-long advocates for the study of classics. As a secondary school administrator, Dr. Vest has been a staunch advocate for the pursuance of the liberal arts, and within that construct a strong adherence to the humanities. Prior to her passing in 2015, Lucia was quoted for a College of Charleston publication saying that “Latin and other classical languages are critical in building an educational foundation for life.” Through their gifts of time, talent and treasure, Edward and Lucia have demonstrated not only a commitment to the study of classics, but also to the role the classics play in a liberal arts education. Their philanthropy has supported students pursuing classics academically, and in particular the support of students interested in teaching classics or Latin at the K-12 level.

At both George Washington University and the College of Charleston, Edward and Lucia have established scholarship funds in honor of Lucia’s parents who instilled a love of Latin and Greek languages in their children.  These scholarships are awarded to students majoring in the Classics who have demonstrated financial need and position those students to be able to deepen their study of Greek and Latin through study abroad, experiential learning, and other culturally immersive opportunities. As Allison Davis, a recent CofC graduate, put it, “The Johnson-Vest Scholarship made me adamant about and tenacious toward my academic work, and helped me fall in love with learning.” Students who have received the Vest’s scholarships now number over 200, and they have gone on to become educators in K-12 and higher education, business executives, lawyers, and public servants.

Dawn Smith-Popielski and Nick Popielski

Nick Popielski and Dawn Smith-Popielski are models of how those who love Classics can advance the field of Classics through their professional careers. Whether they are talking with students, working with alumni, or speaking with university administrators about the importance of classics, these two have been energetic in their support of classics. Nick, Head of Environmental Impact at Spire (St. Louis' gas company), Dawn, a cost analyst for Ascension Health in the Ascension Data Science Institute, are mainstays of the local chapters (in Columbia and St. Louis) of the Archaeological Institute of America. They serve as Secretary-Treasurer of the Alumni/ae Association of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. They are regular and enthusiastic speakers to graduate and undergraduate students at Washington University, the University of Missouri, and elsewhere, about how a degree in Classics can lead not only to rewarding lives, but to successful careers in numerous fields. They are active at alumni events and eager to speak with administrators all the way up to the Provost and President. Dawn funded a scholarship, in the name of her father, for a Classics or archaeology student to travel to Greece. The American Classical League, founded in 1919, celebrates, supports, and advances the teaching and learning of the Greek and Latin languages, literatures, and cultures, and their timeless relevance. 

Susan Pazavecchia

As an administrator at Archbishop Chapelle High School, Susan Panzavecchia has gone above and beyond as an advocate for Foreign Language and especially Classics. Her support made it possible to have a JCL Club of over 70 students with many activities. When parents wonder whether their student should study a “dead language,” Susan personally reassures them of the value of Latin. When Latin III students are wary of taking AP Latin, she calls in each student individually to encourage them to continue their Latin education. She also attends all of our Classics events, takes photos, promotes us on social media and ensures that we have everything that we need to be successful and get recognition for all our hard work. She even makes sure that new technology is available for classics as well as STEM classes. Finally, she encourages the nominator to get more involved in ACL, attend meetings, propose workshops, and continue her education in classics. In sum, Susan Panzavecchia advocates for Latin as a way to open a student's eyes to ancient civilizations who have changed the landscape of our world forever.

Edlyn Niimi 

Edlyn Niimi was our second Keely Lake Award recipient, recognized for her exceptional personal involvement in the Latin program and extracurricular student activities where her children attended school. Here is a video of the actual presentaton of her award, with all the details about her service and volunteerism.