Regan Antila Receives Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award

“Ms. Antila knows that each person learns differently and that what works for one student doesn’t work for another,” shared McGehee in her remarks. “She advocates for what each and every student needs to be successful at Foxcroft, and she holds high expectations for what all Foxcroft students can achieve through hard work and with a little help.”

Whether she’s talking with families and creating accommodation plans for students, both current and incoming, or meeting with focus groups or the Student Support team, Antila makes a true difference at Foxcroft. Hired in 2020, she came to Foxcroft with a strong background in providing student support through the Learning Center, holding two Master's degrees — one in Reading Specialist and one in School Psychology. Upon seeing the impact of the pandemic and a decline in students’ executive functioning skills, she pursued and earned a certification from Landmark College in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity with a specialization in Executive Function. “She is an outstanding role model for our students because she, herself, is a lifelong learner,” reflected McGehee.

Nominations for Antila were submitted by classroom teachers, administrators, and students, and McGehee went on to share words of kindness and appreciation for Antila’s impact over the past five years. “This teacher is someone I can always count on, whether it's her friendly smile around campus or when I need help with school-related things,” shared one student. “She is so kind and willing to go out of her way to help you when needed.” Another wrote, “She genuinely cares about her students not just as learners but as people. I always feel like I can go to her for help, and she’ll meet me with kindness and patience.” A colleague wrote, “She is deeply committed to providing students with the support they need to become critical and independent thinkers. Her work is both specialized and essential to the success of students who may struggle to thrive in more traditional learning environments.” 

Congratulations, Ms. Antila! 

Watch the video of her award.

The Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 2014 by Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees to honor the retiring Head of School who spent 40+ years at the School as a teacher and administrator. It recognizes a classroom teacher with a tenure of at least three years who “connects with and challenges each student to develop her analytical ability, critical and independent thinking, communication skills, and personal integrity.” Previous recipients of the award are Maria Evans, Ph.D., Susan Erba, Steven McCarty, Stephanie Young ’00 (in 2018 and 2024), John Scharfenberg, Alex Northrup, the entire 2020-21 faculty team, Julie Fisher, and Karin Thorndike.