The Alumni Association formally announced the 2025 winners: Terry Johnson ’85 won the Woman of the Year Award, and Lauren Choi ’16 won the 20Y Award. Johnson and Choi will be celebrated for their achievements on April 26 on Alumnae Day and will deliver a speech to those in attendance.
Beginning in October 2024, all 4,000 alumnae received a nomination form via email, where they could input the names of people they believe fit within the parameters of the awards’ descriptions.
The Woman of the Year award is given to a Marlborough alumna who personifies the essence of Marlborough, is a leader in their profession and is an inspiration for current Marlborough students.
The Woman of the Year committee and Alumni Leadership Board committee came together and discussed which nominees best represented the award’s criteria and ultimately decided on Johnson.
After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, earning her Juris Doctor from Stanford Law and acquiring a Certificate in Sustainable Capitalism and ESG from UC Berkeley School of Law, Johnson is currently a partner at the Arnold & Porter law firm. She was named one of the “Top 100 Women Lawyers” by the Daily Journal in 2012.
“The work I did in English [at Marlborough] led me to develop a sense of critical thinking and close reading, and that really informs a lot of work I do as a lawyer now,” Johnson said when asked to describe Marlborough’s impact on her journey during an All-School Meeting.
Johnson has used her experience as a lawyer to create and support meaningful change, especially for women’s rights. She helped found the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights, which provides pro bono legal help, and acted as president of the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice and Diversity Center, advocating for marginalized groups.
The nominators and committee members highlighted Johnson’s academic excellence, professional leadership, recognized accolades and commitment to social justice as reasons for her selection.
On top of her recognition and speech at Alumnae Day, Johnson will attend the Legacy Luncheon, which includes past Women of the Year and the Woman of the Year Committee.
While the Woman of the Year award focuses on honoring someone who has made a deep and meaningful impact on their community, the 20Y award focuses on choosing a passionate alumnae that graduated within the past 20 years who has continued to exemplify Marlborough’s core values.
Representatives from the Young Alumni Council discussed the nominees and selected Choi as the 20Y Award winner because of her entrepreneurial spirit, leadership ability and commitment to sustainability.
While attending Marlborough, Choi’s interest in sustainability was piqued through her AP Environmental Science class, which inspired her to take a renewable energy and engineering course in college.
During her time at Johns Hopkins University, Choi developed an innovative technology that turns plastic into yarn, which led to the creation of her company The New Norm. Her company utilizes the yarn to make clothing garments in a sustainable fashion.
On top of running her business, Choi is the leader of the Frank & Eileen Accelerator Program, where she mentors entrepreneurial students and advises them on how to further their own businesses.
Choi’s work in a male-dominated field, dedication to creating a more sustainable fashion industry and passion for supporting Marlborough students in their unique business ventures contributed to her selection for the award.
“It is such a wonderful opportunity to honor two amazing alumnae every year,” Director of Advancement Sarah Singer said. “It recognizes that they are proud alumnae of the school and are representative of what students at Marlborough go on to do.”
