Winner of 2018 Alumni Award: 
Teacher, photographer, humanitarian and world traveler 
Juliana “Topsy” Post ’66

The New Canaan Country School Alumni Award is presented each year to honor an alumna or alumnus who best embodies the statement from the school’s mission, “New Canaan Country School inspires students to be lifelong learners with the courage and confidence to make a positive contribution to the world.” This year, the honor went to Juliana “Topsy” Post ’66.

While on campus May 18 to receive her award, Topsy spoke to Middle and Upper School students (Grades 5–9) about “Finding One’s Voice” followed by a “PechaKucha,” a 20-slide presentation, titled “The Tea Darlings of Darjeeling,” featuring her own photography and narration.

In her remarks to the students, she shared how, with the assistance of her third grade teacher Tot Wright, she overcame her painful shyness, developed a sense of self-worth and set out on a lifelong path — both figuratively and literally — of finding her own voice.

She related that her curiosity for the larger world led her to India, where as a student she studied the Hindi language, practiced the sitar and researched Ayurvedic medicine. She also spent as much free time as possible travelling and exploring. 

Following graduate school, her travels led her to Pakistan, where she started a school, taught at the International School in Islamabad and designed literacy materials for UNICEF.

Returning to Fairfield County in 1985, Ms. Post continued teaching, ultimately joining Country School’s faculty in 1992 where, for the next 22 years, she imparted wisdom, worldly experience and a unique global perspective to Upper School students. During her tenure, Ms. Post was a teacher of English and history, a Grade 9 academic advisor and the faculty advisor to the staff of The Column, a student-run publication. She also served as History Department Chair, overseeing the design and implementation of the school’s eighth grade World Cultures curriculum. In addition, she led student tours of the civil rights South as part of the school’s ninth grade Expanded Studies program.

Characteristically, nowadays her time is spent in the service of others. Most notably, she focuses her talent and energy upon those who have found their way to our country and are working hard to improve their circumstances. Ms. Post has become certified to teach English as a second language and does so both for female refugees at Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport and recent immigrants at Building One Community in Stamford. 

Alumni Award Recipients

List of 29 items.

  • 2025: Jonathan Isham '75

  • 2024: Lucy Adams Billings '63

  • 2023: Nicholas Britell '96

  • 2022: Lisa Pike Sheehy ’83

  • 2021: AJ Mleczko ’90

  • 2020: Eric Woolworth ’80

  • 2019: Allison Kessler Vear ’00

  • 2018: Topsy Post ’66

  • 2017: Mo Vaughn ’82

  • 2016: G. David Forney ’54

  • 2015: Zach Iscol ’94

  • 2014: Katherine Ward ’79

  • 2013: Liz Barratt-Brown ’74

  • 2012: Matt Heineman ’98

  • 2011: Rick Ackerly ’60

  • 2010: Edward Hoagland ’47

  • 2009: Patricia Gates Lynch Ewell ’41

  • 2008: Hardy Jones ’58

  • 2007: Elizabeth Spelke ’64

  • 2006: L. Paul Bremer ’56

  • 2005: Edmund L. Resor ’66

  • 2004: William A. Shutkin ’80

  • 2003: Emily Mead ’41

  • 2002: Keith H. Brodie ’54

  • 2001: Samuel Sachs ’50

  • 2000: Elizabeth S. Crow ’61

  • 1999: Hedrick Smith ’47

  • 1998: Jonathan B. O’Brien ’53 & Joan Dominick O’Brien ’53

  • 1997: Peter Goldmark ’55

New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.