Student Earns John Winthrop Fellowship

Ella Amouyal ’20 has been awarded the John Winthrop Student Fellowship from the Massachusetts Historical Society. The Fellowship, which comes with a $350 stipend, will allow Ella access to the Historical Society’s Reading Room in Boston, in support of a research project of her choosing.

Intrigued by the vast collection of letters between Abigail Adams and her husband, John Adams, housed in the Society’s archives, Ella has decided to focus her research on Abigail, and the manner in which her time in Europe — specifically England and France — influenced her views on gender, politics, and fashion.

“I love history and have always been interested in art history, and women’s history, and the women of the revolution,” Ella shares. “I also really like European history, so I was excited by this chance to bridge all these different areas.”

Ella is expected to complete her research in June, at which time she will present a blog post describing her experience working with the archival documents for the Historical Society’s website. She is also hoping to curate an online exhibition showcasing some of the more significant items she comes across, so that others can benefit from the work she has done.

“The Historical Society has such an amazing collection. It’s a huge honor to be able to access the objects they have, and to work with their librarians, who are incredibly knowledgeable,” Ella says. “It’s so different from simply reading about something in a book.”

This award comes after months of hard work on Ella’s part, developing a proposal and fine-tuning the scope of her project. CSW congratulates her on a job well done!

The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.