Recognition Well Earned

Marlborough is fortunate to be home to exceptional educators. That is no secret within the Marlborough community. But there is a special kind of joy when the broader professional community recognizes it, too. Recently, three of our own received prestigious professional honors that celebrate the incredible work they do in service to every Marlborough Violet. Debate Program Head Adam Torson was named to the Gold Key Society of the Barkley Forum. Dean of the Class of 2027 and English Instructor Ilyana Contreras received the Pearl Rock Kane Scholarship through the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. And Korean Language Instructor YoonJu Lee was honored with the Pestalozzi Award. Each of these recognitions reflect the values and excellence our educators bring to the community every day.

Ilyana Contreras: Pearl Rock Kane Scholarship
When most faculty head out of school for some rest and relaxation over the summer, Dean of the Class of 2027 and English Instructor Ilyana Contreras heads to New York City for more work. Ms. Contreras is enrolled in the Klingenstein Center’s two-summer master’s program in independent school leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Designed for full-time educators, the program takes place over two intensive summers, with an action research project carried out during the intervening academic year. 

Midway through her first summer, Ms. Contreras was surprised to learn she had been selected for the Pearl Rock Kane Scholarship, named for the woman who led the Klingenstein program from its inception. “It was a surprise and a true honor,” she said. The scholarship recognized her application materials and, as Program Head Nicole Furlonge communicated to her directly, her “capacity for reflection.” 

Her action research project, now underway, focuses on student leadership. She has been working closely with the 11th-grade Student Council, interviewing students and facilitating focus groups to explore what future-ready and female-oriented leadership can look like, with the goal to embed those frameworks more deeply into Marlborough’s grade-level student council structures.

The results are already visible. “The junior class did not need me there!” she said of a week when she was unexpectedly away from campus. “I say that as the biggest compliment to their leadership,” she gushed. The class not only ran Spirit Week independently—and won—but Council members also helped organize student activism in the form of a walk out that same week, demonstrating leadership that extended well beyond Marlborough’s gates. 

YoonJu Lee: Pestalozzi Award
Honoring her meaningful contribution to Korean American education and community, Korean Language Instructor YoonJu Lee received the Pestalozzi Award from the Korean American Education Research Center. This organization has been honoring outstanding educators and Korean American students for decades.

The nomination for this honor came from a former student’s family, a grandmother whose granddaughter had taken Ms. Lee’s class and whose daughter is herself a Marlborough alumna. The connection was unexpected and moving. “I’m honored,” Ms. Lee shared of her reaction to the award. 

For Ms. Lee, the recognition carried particular weight because of what it represents for Marlborough’s Korean language program. With support from her World Languages Department colleagues, Ms. Lee was the sole architect of the program, which she built from the ground up over the past six years. “We are one of the first independent schools in Los Angeles to have a Korean program,” she noted. The program launched as an elective and has since become a UC-approved language course and enrollment continues to grow.

“To be recognized for that work is special,” she said. “Looking back, I can see what a long way we have come!” True to form, she marked the occasion the way it felt right: by buying coffee for and celebrating with her entire department.

Adam Torson: Barkley Forum Gold Key Society
Debate Program Head Adam Torson was inducted into the Gold Key Society of the Barkley Forum, a peer-nominated honor within the national debate coaching community. The Gold Key Society is associated with the Emory University tournament (hosted by Emory’s debate society, the Barkley Forum), and its membership dates back to the 1960s. Current members nominate and vote on new inductees, with a strong emphasis on selecting candidates who are dedicated to upholding the ethical standards of the profession.

For Mr. Torson, being selected by his peers made this recognition significantly meaningful. “The recognition of colleagues is a cool one,” he said, “because it’s recognition by other people who have been doing this, who have made their career doing this. They know what it takes to have a program like ours.” Marlborough’s Debate Program continues to thrive, thanks to Mr. Torson’s leadership. In 2025, a Marlborough debater took home the national championship at the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) Championships—one of the season’s two major culminating championships. This win, along with countless other awards and recognitions at that tournament and throughout the season, cemented Marlborough’s reputation as a national debate powerhouse.

Mr. Torson also received the Distinguished Service Bronze Plaque from the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), an honor earned by accumulating service citations for activities such as hosting tournaments and serving on tabulation staff. The Bronze Plaque is awarded at 70 service citations.

Marlborough is so proud to celebrate these three members of our staculty. Their dedication to their craft and to our community continues to set a remarkable example for the students who have the privilege of sitting in their classrooms.