Prestigious Honors for 2025 French Major
Ethan Levinbook ’25 graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with distinction, earning a historic B.A./M.A. in French as the first Yale student to complete this dual degree in our department. Remarkably, he began studying French during a COVID-19 gap year, teaching himself the language through daily practice and conversation. Upon entering Yale, he placed directly into advanced literature courses and went on to complete 23 French classes.
A dynamic force in Yale’s Francophone community, Ethan revived and led the Yale French-language journal l’Amuse-Bouche, transforming it into a vibrant forum for international exchange that featured work by both Yale contributors and renowned voices from the Francophone world. He also served as editor of Yale’s literary translation journal, JoLT. His commitment to literature and justice intersected in his pro bono translation work for Francophone asylum seekers in the New Haven community.
During his junior year, Ethan completed the first English translation of Victor Hugo’s monumental poem La Pitié suprême, and for his senior thesis, translated and analyzed Hugo’s philosophical treatise Philosophie under the direction of DUS, Thomas C. Connolly
This commencement, Ethan’s academic achievements have earned him numerous prestigious honors, including the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize, the Wrexham Prize for the best senior essay in the humanities, and the French Department’s James T. King Prize as well as first place winner of the Montaigne Prize. His junior year, he was awarded the Hart Lyman Prize. Faculty praise him as “a once-in-a-lifetime student.”
In the fall, Ethan will attend Columbia Law School, where he plans to pursue a joint degree enabling him to practice law in both the United States and France.
Ethan exemplifies Yale’s highest ideals—intellectual excellence, creative leadership, and a deep commitment to service.
Nous remercions Ethan pour tout ce qu’il a fait pour le rayonnement de la langue et de la culture française sur notre campus pendant ces quatre dernières années.
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