From her work in various organizations at Chadwick to her passions off campus to being All Student Body (ASB) President, Lucy Cushman ’26 shows leadership, expresses authenticity, and embodies the power of “saying yes.”
As a member of the Community Service Advisory Board (CSAB) for three years and an Eagle Scout, Cushman’s heart for her community is indisputable. Through leading community service sites and camps, she has gained valuable leadership experience.
Additionally, Cushman was part of the Honor Council as grade level representative for three years, giving her opportunities to learn skills and lessons that formed an important part of her character.
Cushman joined Chadwick in sixth grade and immediately embraced the school’s community, teachers, and opportunities. During Cushman’s junior year, then-president Natalie Bernstein ’25 encouraged her to run for Student Council.
After being elected ASB President, Cushman aims to carry on Bernstein’s legacy—saying yes to challenges while infusing school leadership with her own style.
This year, Cushman hopes to create more school spirit, improve attendance at sports games, and bring the Upper School together through enhanced Homecoming activities.
She has also introduced new initiatives, such as the seniors painting their parking spots. In her final year at Chadwick, Cushman looks forward to continuing to improve school spirit—in a great part through recognizing the value of saying “yes.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she said. “If you’re not physically going to get injured, a little embarrassment never hurt anybody. Seek discomfort. Put yourself in awkward positions. Like, why not?”
Becoming ASB President meant stepping down from the Honor Council.
“I’ve devoted a lot of time, effort, and energy into building the relationships I had there… and also with the Honor Council process and what I think it should stand for,” she said. “I feel like I left it in good hands. As much as it makes me sad that I’m gone, I’m excited for my new role, and I’m excited for the work that they’re doing over there.”
Cushman’s charismatic personality attracts many to her leadership, and she’s not afraid to express herself when she disagrees with people.
Senior and ASB Social Chair Araya Tekeste said of Cushman, “There’ll be times where Layla [Daniels ’26], Lucy, and I are bouncing ideas off each other, Lucy will jump in and say, ‘no.’ She will call out an idea and say it how it is. She’ll be just a hundred percent. I think that authenticity is so beautiful.”
Cushman is driven by her passions on and off campus, one of her biggest passions being baking.
“I love making people smile. I don’t think there’s really any situation where you offer someone a treat and it makes them upset,” she said.
She posts her culinary creations—decorated cakes and baked goods—on Instagram @lucyluskitchen_, an account that has amassed more than 200 followers.
“Food is my love language,” Cushman said. “I love to bring cookies for my friends if I bake something over the weekend or anything.”
Cushman started a baking camp in 2022, the summer before her freshman year.
“My siblings were doing beach camps—teaching kids ocean safety and all that stuff,” Cushman said. “That didn’t really appeal to me, but I was like, you know what I can do? I can teach people how to bake.”
Each summer, Cushman teaches kids how to make treats, ranging from oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to cinnamon rolls to lemon loaves, blueberry muffins, and tiramisu, with game breaks in between. Running the camps is one of her proudest baking accomplishments.
Tekeste says, “Any room that she walks into just lights up, and everyone feels a sense of confidence in themselves… because when Lucy walks in, you feel this immediate ‘OK, let’s do this.’”
For Cushman, being able to serve the community as ASB president is one of the most meaningful things about being a leader at Chadwick.
“[It’s] getting to have a little bit of control in that process and being able to create ideas and make changes happen,” she said. “If you don’t make the most of it now, when are you ever going to?”
