As the holiday season draws near and the year winds to its close, it feels like the right moment to pause and look back at some of the special moments that defined the ESU’s work over the past twelve months. It has been a year rich in purpose, accomplishment, and connection—everything our organization has stood for since its founding 105 years ago.
One of the year’s brightest highlights was The National Shakespeare Competition April at Lincoln Center in New York City. Forty-two talented students from across the country brought the Bard’s words to life as they vied for the grand prize: the opportunity to attend the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer Conservatory Program in Oxford, England.
2025 NSC Contestants in front of Lincoln Center in NYC
We were also proud to award the Luard Morse Scholarship to another exceptional young leader, Olivia Abdalla. Abdalla is a journalism major at Hampton University and will spend the Spring semester of 2026 academic year studying in the UK.
Olivia Abdalla,
2025-2026 Luard Morse Scholar
We celebrated yet another cohort of dedicated educators who advanced their professional development through the ESU TLab program. Rebecca Donovan-Bain was announced as a finalist for Palm Beach Illustrated’s 2025 Educator of the Year. She leads her school in our National Shakespeare Competition, and was awarded a full scholarship to attend the ESU TLab intensive at Shakespeare’s Globe this July.
2025 TLab Scholars at Shakespeare's Globe
in London
We’re happy to share that theAndrew Romay New Immigrant Center marked amilestone of its own by graduating its largest class ever—535 new immigrants from 35 countries—all taking confident steps toward building successful lives in the United States.
ARNIC Students Celebrating ESU NYC Branch's Holiday Party
Our ESU Debate Programsengaged more students than ever, strengthening their skills in civility, reasoned argument, and public speaking. More than 1000 middle and high school students have participated in our Saturday fall semester debate tournaments thus far!
Middle School Debate Students at a Recent Tournament at Nightingale Bamford School in NYC
Our ESU community continued to flourish, with growing audiences for both the virtual ESU Happy Hour series and the in-person Evelyn Wrench Speaker Program, reflecting a renewed enthusiasm for learning and connection across our membership.
The ESU National Patron Tours also offered unforgettable experiences this year. In July, participants sailed from Naples to Malta aboard Sea Cloud Spirit, tracing Admiral Nelson’s dramatic course through the Mediterranean. Recently, twenty Patrons and friends enjoyed an extraordinary holiday weekend at Knowsley Hall, November 20–23, as guests of the Earl and Countess of Derby—a rare chance to experience life, art, and hospitality at one of England’s grand estates.
2025 Sea Cloud Spirit Patrons Trip
Knowsley Hall, November 2025
The year also brought meaningful improvements behind the scenes. We introduced a new CRM system (a membership and data management software), greatly simplifying membership sign-ups and renewals. This gives us more reliable and efficient reporting tools—an investment already strengthening our operations.
And earlier in the year, the Founder’s Award Gala, hosted in March by our Central Florida Branch, launched our Capacity Building Campaign, an important effort to help secure the ESU’s future.
Founder's Award Gala 2025 - Dr. Quinn Peeper with the 2020 Centennial Founder's Award honoree Dr. Laurence C. Morse
At that gathering, I was deeply honored and humbled to receive the Founder’s Award, the ESU’s most prestigious distinction—an experience that underscored for me the importance of the work we all support. It was a moving evening and an inspiring beginning to a campaign that will continue into next year as we prepare to celebrate a major milestone: 25 years since the ESU moved to its current home at 144 East 39th Street in Midtown Manhattan - a place that houses our New York-centered programs, including English in Action conversations and the Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center. The ESU House also hosts various social events, as well as the New York Branch Shakespeare Competition and professional development programs for teachers.
The festivities will begin on a particularly fitting day—Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23—with a special weekend that brings together the National Shakespeare Competition, the ESU Annual General Meeting,and the 25th Anniversary Gala Reception at the ESU House. It promises to be a joyful celebration of history, union, and the enduring power of our mission.
The ESU House in Midtown Manhattan
As we enter this festive time, I extend to each of you my warmest wishes for happiness, good health, and a season filled with peace and joy. I hope to see many of you in the New Year as we continue our work together.
Finally, this is also a season of gratitude, appreciation, and generosity. I invite you to join in that spirit by making a year-end gift to the ESU, helping us sustain and grow the programs that make such a profound impact on the lives of students, educators, newcomers, and communities across the country.
Wishing you and your loved ones wonderful holidays and a bright year ahead.
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