Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award was created by the Maret Alumni Council in 2011 to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our former students.
This award shares with the entire Maret community the noteworthy achievements of our alumni. The Award Committee selects alumni who, true to our mission, are taking an active role in improving the world and are making significant contributions in the arts, sciences, medicine, business, government, academia, or service to humanity. Through this award, Maret seeks to recognize outstanding leadership and accomplishments at the local, national, or global level.
Congratulations to Maret's 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners!
Maret's 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners
Stephen Belber '85
Stephen Belber ’85 is an internationally recognized, critically acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, and director. His career has shaped cultural conversation and challenged audiences around the world to grapple with themes of justice, identity, and the complexities of the human experience. Across theater, film, and television, Belber has examined human behavior with empathy, intelligence, and urgency.
His narratives give voice to those at the margins and create space for uncomfortable but important questions. His acclaimed play Tape — (also a Richard Linklater film now being remade in three countries) — offers a probing look at truth, memory, and accountability; his work on The Laramie Project helped catalyze national dialogue on LGBTQ+ rights and hate crimes; and his script for the film O.G. — shot in a maximum security prison where the majority of actors were actual residents — examines criminal justice reform through intimate character portrayal. Collaborations with actors like Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Aniston, and Jeffrey Wright have deepened his reputation for crafting nuanced, emotionally resonant stories that leave a lasting impression.
What keeps me writing is the need to discern my beliefs, find an artful way to express them, and hope it connects with a few people out there. The fact that beliefs and connection evolve, keeps me at it.” — Stephen Belber ’85
Most recently, Belber created and show-ran The Madness, starring Colman Domingo, which explores contemporary racial tensions, disinformation, and the power of political extremism. It became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows of 2024.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Trinity College and was a fellow in the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at Juilliard.
Over the years, Belber has volunteered his time and talents to connect with Maret students who are interested in storytelling. His extraordinary contributions to the arts and his continued engagement with our school community continue to inspire and uplift us.
Cyrus Beschloss ’15
Cyrus Beschloss ’15 is a nationally recognized media entrepreneur and data storyteller transforming how young people are represented in public discourse. He launched his first company, College Reaction, while an undergraduate, driven by a belief in the power of data to inform, humanize, and elevate. He built the first polling and insights platform focused on young people, ensuring their voices are heard and integrated into national conversations on politics, public health, and social change. College Reaction grew into Generation Lab, which Beschloss now heads as founder and CEO, to add sharper texture, deeper definition, and wider representation for young people in America.
Young people are not passive observers, but powerful participants in the major issues of our time.” — Cyrus Beschloss ’15
Through his companies, Beschloss has conducted research for major media outlets, universities, and Fortune 500 companies—from CNBC to Stanford and the White House—to provide high-impact research on issues ranging from mental health and campus climate to elections and civic trust. His work has been featured on platforms including NBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Axios, and beyond.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Williams College and a master's degree in journalism from Stanford University.
Beschloss’s work models the kind of thoughtful leadership and principled engagement that Maret strives to instill in every student. A generous alum, he has served in a variety of volunteer capacities and will complete six years on the Alumni Council this year.
Past Recipients
- 2024: Phoebe Aron ’09 & Rinad S. Beidas ’99
- 2023: Travis Allen '93 & Mark Odom '83
- 2022: Paige Hoffman ’06 & Jason Wasfy ’97
- 2021 Dominique DeLeon '00 and Catie Lazarus '94
- 2020 Drew Chafetz ’00 and Jenni Romanek ’05
- 2019: De’ara Balenger ’99 and David Wolowitz '64
- 2018: Benjamin Marcovitz '98 and Joseph Richman '83
2024: Phoebe Aron ’09 & Rinad S. Beidas ’99
2023: Travis Allen '93 & Mark Odom '83
2022: Paige Hoffman ’06 & Jason Wasfy ’97
2021 Dominique DeLeon '00 and Catie Lazarus '94
2020 Drew Chafetz ’00 and Jenni Romanek ’05
2019: De’ara Balenger ’99 and David Wolowitz '64
2018: Benjamin Marcovitz '98 and Joseph Richman '83
- 2017: Susannah Beverly Wellford '86 and Daniel W. Smith '02
- 2016: Sarah Greenberg Bowman '91 and Christof Blackman Putzel '97
- 2015: Sonja Lyubomirsky ’85 and Theodore Shapiro ’89
- 2014: Frances Z. Brown '98 and Dr. Ralph Davison '64
- 2013: J. Lorand (Randy) Matory ’78 and Richard Berlin ’88
- 2012 (Inaugural Award Winner): Daniel Solomon '78